Cleveland, West Hythe Road, West Hythe, CT21 4NT

Authority: Folkestone and Hythe District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: retail · Change of use
Inspector: Owen A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the development is in a suitable location with regard to its accessibility by sustainable modes of transport

What decided it

The site's poor accessibility by sustainable modes of transport, particularly the absence of nearby bus services and the inaccessibility of alternative settlements, means the change of use fails to accord with policies SS1, CSD3 and RL8 and cannot be justified despite the business's local value and lack of highway impact.

Framework references: 88, 89

Plan policies cited: Policy SS1, Policy CSD3, Policy RL8, Policy SS3, Policy SS4

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.

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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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