Redcot, Bell Farm Lane, Minster On Sea, Kent, ME12 4JB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed development would be in a suitable location, having regard to the local development strategy, including policies for coastal change
• Whether the proposed development would provide suitable living conditions for future occupants, with particular regard to noise and disturbance
• The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the setting of Bell Farm Park House and Club
• The effect of the proposed development on highway safety, with particular regard to the provision of parking
• Whether the biodiversity gain condition, as set out at Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021) is capable of being successfully discharged

What decided it

The proposed development would be located in the Coastal Change Management Area and would not be of a type requiring a coastal location, and the proposal failed to demonstrate the development would be safe for its lifetime and would not increase risk to life or property elsewhere, thereby conflicting with SBLP Policy DM23 and Framework paragraph 185.

The moderate weight afforded to the provision of an accessible dwelling for a disabled person was outweighed by the substantial weight attached to the conflict with the development plan and the risk to life arising from the location in the Coastal Change Management Area.