Land Adj The Old Stable, Dunn Street Road, Bredhurst, Kent, ME7 3ND

the change of use of stables to Use Class E (Commercial, Business and Service uses)

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: employment-industrial · Change of use
Inspector: Murray D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect on the character and appearance of the area including the Kent Downs National Landscape
Whether the site lies in a sustainable location and the effect on highway safety
The effect on protected species, particularly bats

What decided it

The proposal accords with the development plan, particularly Policy LPRQD5 on conversion of rural buildings for non-residential purposes, and would achieve conservation and enhancement of the Kent Downs National Landscape by bringing the vacant building back into beneficial use.

Framework references: 84, 88

Plan policies cited: LPRQD5, LPRSP15, LPRQD4, LPRSS1, LPRTR2, LPRTR4, LPRSP14, LPRSP15

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.

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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.
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