®Planning appeal decision
Court Lodge Farm, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3QW
an outline planning application with all matters reserved for future consideration (aside from new means of vehicular accesses onto Pound Lane (2.no.), Long Length and Magpie Hall Road which are for approval now) for the construction of up to 1000 new homes, a local centre comprising retail uses (up to 450 sqm) and a primary school (2.4ha); flexible office space (up to 400 sqm) and a combined community hall and site management suite (up to 650 sqm); new pedestrian and cycle routes, laying out of green infrastructure, including allotment gardens and areas of ecological habitats; drainage infrastructure, earthworks and ancillary infrastructure
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Rollings G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on flood risk and drainage
- The effect of the proposed development on biodiversity, including protected species
- The effect of the proposed development on heritage assets, with particular regard to archaeology
- The effect of the proposed development on the supply of affordable housing
What decided it
The absence of a five-year housing land supply and consequent application of the paragraph 11(d) tilted balance, under which the substantial benefits of housing and affordable housing delivery were not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the limited identified harms.
The very substantial benefits of market and affordable housing delivery, together with moderate benefits from planning obligation provisions, outweighed the limited landscape harm and the harm from loss of two non-designated heritage assets, such that adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits against either the Framework or the development plan as a whole.
Framework references: 11, 57, 58, 208, 210, 216, 217, 218
Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy S3, Policy S4, Policy S5, Policy ENV1, Policy ENV5, Policy ENV6, Policy ENV7, Policy ENV8, Policy ENV9, Policy ENV12, Policy ENV13, Policy ENV15, Policy HOU1, Policy HOU6, Policy HOU14, Policy HOU18, Policy IMP1, Policy IMP2, Policy IMP4, Policy COM1, Policy COM2, Policy COM3, Policy TRA1, Policy TRA4, Policy TRA5, Policy TRA6, Policy TRA7, Policy TRA8, Policy SP6, Policy EMP6
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.