Former Agricultural Building, Land West of Brewer Street, Lamberhurst, Kent, TN3 8DY

change of use of an existing, former agricultural building to a single dwellinghouse, along with ecological enhancements and parking provision, and associated landscaping

Authority: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Knight A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development, with particular regard to the parking, access, and garden elements, on the character and appearance of the area, including the High Weald National Landscape

What decided it

The proposal would fundamentally alter the character of the appeal site through suburbanisation and erode the clearly defined edge of the village to the detriment of the High Weald National Landscape, with harm that outweighs the modest benefits of delivering one new dwelling.

Framework references: 11, 226

Plan policies cited: Policy EN1, Policy EN25, Policy H13, Core Policy 4, Core Policy 5, Core Policy 14

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.