®Planning appeal decision
Greenluck Farm, Harris Lane, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3HN
3No 2-bedroom log cabin style dwellings, with associated parking and garden areas. New movable ground mounted solar panels to be installed in agricultural field
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Carpenter C
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the location would be suitable for the proposed development, having regard to the spatial strategy for the area
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside
- whether the proposal adequately demonstrates the effect on ancient woodland, protected species and biodiversity and the measures necessary to avoid, mitigate or compensate for any negative effects
What decided it
The absence of objective evidence to demonstrate that the development would not result in deterioration of ancient woodland as an irreplaceable habitat, combined with the failure to provide required ecological surveys for protected species, meant the proposal could not be approved under Framework paragraph 193.
The substantial harms to the spatial strategy, character and appearance, ancient woodland, protected species and biodiversity, to which the Inspector ascribed substantial weight, outweighed the modest benefits of delivering three dwellings and supporting the local economy, to which moderate weight was given.
Framework references: 84, 193, 11
Plan policies cited: SP1, SP2, HOU5, SP6, ENV3a, ENV5, ENV1
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.