®Planning appeal decision
Digswell , Lower Hartlip Road, Hartlip, Kent, ME9 7SX
demolition of 2no. commercial premises (Use Class E) and erection of 4no. dwellings together with associated parking, refuse and cycle stores, and landscaping
- Authority
- Swale Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Holden S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is suitable for residential development having regard to local and national planning policy for the location of housing
- The effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The cumulative adverse impacts of unsustainable location and harmful character and appearance effects, combined with limited housing benefits due to the fallback position providing the same number of units, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
The limited housing benefits (no net increase in units compared to the fallback scheme) were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the cumulative adverse impacts of unsustainable location contrary to the spatial strategy, over-reliance on private transport, and harmful effects on character and appearance, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy ST3, Policy CP2, Policy CP4, Policy DM14, Policy DM24
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.