®Planning appeal decision
Land Part of Wrotham Water Farm, Off London Road, Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7SG
Planning appeal 3347410 at Land Part of Wrotham Water Farm, Off London Road, Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7SG (Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) was allowed on 13 February 2025 by Inspector Holden S, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the Kent Downs National Landscape (KDNL).
an outline application (all matters reserved except access) for construction of a secure 24-hour truck stop facility for up to 200 HGVs incorporating fuel station; amenity building of up to 1100 sqm; creation of a new access to A20 via roundabout; landscaping and other associated works
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- employment-industrial · Major retail and services
- Inspector
- Holden S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the Kent Downs National Landscape (KDNL)
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The compelling and demonstrable unmet need for secure lorry parking and welfare facilities on the Strategic Road Network outweighed the identified harms to the KDNL setting, character and appearance, and heritage assets.
The very substantial and significant economic, social and environmental benefits of meeting the unmet need for lorry parking outweighed the great weight attached to the cumulative limited and localised harms to the KDNL setting, character and appearance, and the less than substantial harm to the setting of two listed buildings.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP3Policy CP7Policy CP24Policy SQ1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 57Paragraph 58Paragraph 81Paragraph 110Paragraph 114Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 189Paragraph 190Paragraph 215
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.