®Planning appeal decision
Allowed22 July 20253362151
Gaskin Valley Farm, Lenham Road, Fairbourne Heath, Harrietsham, Kent, ME17 1NA
a permanent agricultural workers dwelling to serve the essential needs of the holding
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- agricultural · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Sylvester G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether there is an essential need for a rural worker to live at or near their place of work in the countryside on the appeal site
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to its location in the countryside
- The effect of the proposed development on highway safety
- Whether the proposed development would provide adequate living conditions for future occupants with particular regard to noise and disturbance from the use of the shared access track
- The effect of the proposed development on biodiversity and ecology
What decided it
The demonstrable essential need for a rural worker dwelling in the countryside, combined with the minor magnitude of adverse landscape impact and the existence of a fallback position, outweighed the conflict with policies protecting rural character.
Framework references: 84, 115, 116, 135, 187, 193
Plan policies cited: Policy LPRCD3, Policy LPRSP15, Policy LPRQD4, Policy LPRSP9, Policy LPRSS1
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.