The Gables, Warren Street, Lenham, Maidstone, ME17 2ED

the demolition of existing outbuildings and the erection of a detached dwelling of outstanding architectural quality and innovative design, together with associated access, landscaping and parking, and the creation of new driveway serving The Gables

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Murray D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the principle of the erection of a house in this location accords with the strategy in the development plan
Whether the site lies in a sustainable location
Whether the proposal meets the terms of paragraph 139 of the NPPF, in particular by having an outstanding or innovative design which promotes high levels of sustainability
The effect on the Kent Downs National Landscape

What decided it

The outstanding and innovative design quality of the dwelling, supported by independent expert assessment, combined with its positive enhancement of the Kent Downs National Landscape and accordance with NPPF paragraph 139, outweighed the conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy.

Framework references: 11, 84, 110, 139

Plan policies cited: LPRSS1, LPRSP9, 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.

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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