®Planning appeal decision
Land east of Scocles Road, Minster on Sea, ME12 3RX
a residential development of up to 650 units inclusive of a new community hub, landscaping measures and green infrastructure, with all matters reserved except for access
- Authority
- Swale Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Jones G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including with regard to a 'Countryside Gap' between east Minster and Eastchurch
- Its effect on biodiversity
- Its effect on highway safety and congestion
- Whether there would be sufficient suitable infrastructure and services to support the proposed development, including medical facilities and sustainable modes of transport
- Whether there are any other considerations, including housing delivery, that might outweigh any harm arising from the appeal development
What decided it
The absence of a Framework-compliant five-year housing land supply engaged the tilted balance, and the considerable benefits of housing delivery outweighed the significant harm to character and appearance and other more limited harms.
The considerable benefits of market and affordable housing delivery, together with highway and infrastructure improvements, outweighed the significant harm to character and appearance and the more limited weight of other adverse matters, such that the adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
Framework references: 11, 20, 105, 110, 112, 130, 174, 185
Plan policies cited: Policy ST 3, Policy ST 6, Policy CP 4, Policy DM 14, Policy DM 24, Policy CP 2, Policy CP 7, Policy DM 28, Policy DM 6, Policy CP 6, Policy DM 8
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.