®Planning appeal decision
Minton House, High Street, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0AS
Planning appeal 3364165 at Minton House, High Street, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0AS (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 5 August 2026 by Inspector Owen A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) objective could be met.
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Owen A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) objective could be met
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area having regard to the special regard that should be paid to the desirability of preserving the setting of the nearby Grade II listed Minton House and the extent to which the development would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Staplehurst Conservation Area
What decided it
The absence of a legal mechanism to secure the Biodiversity Net Gain required by policy LPRSP14(A), resulting in a 61% biodiversity loss that could not be mitigated, gave considerable weight to the conflict with paragraph 193 of the Framework and caused the adverse environmental impacts to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
the adverse environmental impacts resulting from the proposal would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when considered against the policies of the Framework as a whole, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- LPRSP14(A)LPRHOU4LPRHOU5LPRSP15LPRSP6LPRSP14(B)LPRENV1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 193
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
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- Allowed27 October 20266011721Loxley House, Gravelly Bottom Road, Kingswood, Maidstone, ME17 3NT
- Allowed27 October 20266011076Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- Allowed26 October 20266010539Land Rear Of 58 Church Street, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, ME17 4HN
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.