Ham Road, Faversham , ME13 7TX

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether or not the proposal represents an acceptable form of development having regard to its flood zone location and the provisions of local and national planning policy
• the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including on landscape character
• whether or not the appeal site is an appropriate location for development of this type, having regard to local and national planning policy and guidance, including with regard to Best and Most Versatile agricultural land (BMV)

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply engaged the tilted balance, and the substantial weight given to housing (including affordable housing) delivery meant the identified policy conflicts and harms did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

The substantial weight attached to market and affordable housing delivery, together with economic, biodiversity net gain, open space and flood-betterment benefits, outweighed the significant weight given to the flood sequential test failure and spatial strategy conflict, moderate weight to BMV loss, and limited/less-than-substantial harms to character, ecology, traffic and heritage, such that the adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.