®Planning appeal decision
Balcony Farm, Haycross Lane, Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3TF
the demolition of agricultural buildings and the erection of 5 detached single storey dwellings with associated landscaping and biodiversity enhancements
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Sylvester G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal site would be in a suitable location for housing, with particular regard to the Council's spatial strategy and proximity to services and facilities
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- If there is any harm, whether this is outweighed by other considerations, particularly whether there is a fallback position for an alternative proposed development
What decided it
The significant harm to character and appearance caused by introducing a suburban residential enclave in a rural area, combined with the unsuitability of the location for housing due to isolation and lack of sustainable transport access, outweighed the modest benefits of housing delivery when assessed against the development plan and Framework policies taken as a whole.
The appeal proposal's adverse impacts of significant harm to character and appearance and conflict with the spatial strategy for housing growth significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits of housing supply, economic benefits and biodiversity enhancement, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
Framework references: 84, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy SP2, Policy HOU5, Policy SP6, Policy ENV3a
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.