Planning appeal decision
The Grange, Ashford Road, Lenham, Kent, ME17 2DA
Planning appeal 3357159 at The Grange, Ashford Road, Lenham, Kent, ME17 2DA (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 8 May 2025 by Inspector Perrins N, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the rural character and appearance of the countryside.
the erection of a self build new detached dwelling following demolition of existing property and associated hard and soft landscaping
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Perrins N
- Postcode
- ME17 2DA
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development on the rural character and appearance of the countryside
- The effect of the development on protected trees
What decided it
The proposed dwelling's significantly greater scale, bulk, mass and incongruous Georgian architectural style would result in unacceptable visual harm to the rural character and appearance of the countryside, contrary to the Local Plan policies and NPPF paragraph 135.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy LPRHOU11Policy LPRSP9Policy LPRSP15Policy LPRQD4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 135
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed29 October 2026601053621 Tasker Close, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME15 8NZ
- Allowed27 October 20266015190Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- Allowed27 October 20266011721Loxley House, Gravelly Bottom Road, Kingswood, Maidstone, ME17 3NT
- Allowed27 October 20266011076Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- Allowed26 October 20266010539Land Rear Of 58 Church Street, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, ME17 4HN
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; 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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