®Planning appeal decision
Land Adjacent Liptraps Lane, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3AB
Planning appeal 3368358 at Land Adjacent Liptraps Lane, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3AB (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) was allowed on 13 October 2025 by Inspector Burley P, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the appeal scheme on the character and appearance of the area.
the erection of residential dwelling with associated parking, garden and landscaping
- Authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Burley P
- Postcode
- TN2 3AB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the appeal scheme on the character and appearance of the area
- whether there would be acceptable living conditions for the future occupiers of the appeal scheme, with specific regard to natural light and privacy
- the effect of the appeal scheme on the living conditions of occupiers of nearby residential properties, with specific regard to the outlook of 11A, 13 and 15 Birken Road
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land engaged the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework, and the significant weight attached to housing delivery outweighed the small amount of harm to the Area of Landscape Importance.
Although the appeal scheme would result in a small amount of harm to an Area of Landscape Importance, this harm would not be significant; the delivery of a single dwellinghouse was given significant weight given the Council's housing land supply position, and no impacts were identified that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh that benefit.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EN22Policy EN1Core Policy 4emerging Policy EN16emerging Policy EN1emerging Policy EN12
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.