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Allowed15 August 20253365602

The Former Dragoon Public House, 40 Sandling Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 2RF

Planning appeal 3365602 at The Former Dragoon Public House, 40 Sandling Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 2RF (Maidstone Borough Council) was allowed on 15 August 2025 by Inspector Dade E, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the change of use of the property from a public house is justified.

conversion of former public house into 1no 2 -bedroom flat and 3no 1- bedroom flats

Authority
Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Dade E
Postcode
ME14 2RF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the change of use of the property from a public house is justified
  • whether other material considerations outweigh any harm identified such as to justify the development

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply engaged the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d), which outweighed the limited-weight conflict with local plan policies protecting the pub.

The limited weight attributed to conflict with Policies LPRINF2 and LPRCD1 (loss of the pub) was outweighed by the moderate benefit of the net addition of three dwellings in the context of a housing land supply shortfall, so adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits and the presumption in favour of sustainable development applied.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy LPRINF2Policy LPRCD1LPR Policy LPRSP14(A)LPR Policy LPRQD6LPR Policy LPRQD1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 78Paragraph 11Paragraph 232Paragraph 98Paragraph 55

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

  1. Allowed27 March 20266003070
    85 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8JN
  2. Dismissed13 March 20266003787
    4 Hare And Hounds Cottages, Hawkenbury Road, Hawkenbury, TN12 0DZ
  3. Allowed2 March 20263375644
    Plot 8, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN
  4. Allowed23 February 20263367417
    33 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8RX
  5. Allowed23 February 20263367413
    33 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8RX

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.