Land Adjacent To Lower Bloors Lane , Rainham, Gillingham, Medway, Kent, ME8 7TR

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether or not the appeal site would be a suitable location for residential development having regard to the development plan strategy for the area and access to services and facilities
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area
• The effect of the proposal on nearby heritage assets
• The effect of the proposal on the ecology of the site
• The effect of the proposal on highway and pedestrian safety

What decided it

The harm to designated heritage assets, particularly the Grade II* listed Bloors Place, to which great weight must be given under the Framework, was not outweighed by the moderate public benefits of housing delivery, and this provided a strong reason for refusing the development that disengaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The moderate weight attributed to public benefits including 21 dwellings and affordable housing was insufficient to outweigh the great weight given to the conservation of designated heritage assets, and the cumulative harm to character, appearance, landscape and ecology meant the scheme would not accord with the development plan as a whole.