Fisherwood House, Sharnal Street, High Halstow, Rochester, Kent, ME3 8QW

2no. detached 5 bedroom dwellings

Authority: Medway Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Dring G

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the site is in a suitable location for new dwellings, having regard to the accessibility of a range of transport modes
the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The significant harm to the character and appearance of the area, combined with limited conflict regarding transport sustainability, significantly and demonstrably outweighs the moderate benefits of providing two new dwellings when assessed against the Framework as a whole.

the significant harm to character and appearance and limited conflict regarding sustainable transport significantly and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefits of housing delivery, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply

Framework references: 11, 56, 110, 115, 135

Plan policies cited: Policy BNE25, Policy BNE1

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.

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.