Planning appeal decision
Webbenditch Cottage, Cold Harbour Lane, Bobbing, Kent, ME9 8NN
Planning appeal 3368690 at Webbenditch Cottage, Cold Harbour Lane, Bobbing, Kent, ME9 8NN (Swale Borough Council) was allowed on 13 January 2026 by Inspector Miles H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is a suitable location for housing with particular regard to its accessibility by sustainable transport modes.
erection of a self-build 2 bed dwelling with associated parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Swale Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Miles H
- Postcode
- ME9 8NN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is a suitable location for housing with particular regard to its accessibility by sustainable transport modes
- The effect of the proposed development on the Medway Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA)
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply engaged the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d), and the modest harm from the unsustainable location did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the important benefits of delivering self-build housing and contributing to the housing shortfall.
The modest adverse impacts of the development in terms of unsustainable location did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh its important benefits of providing a self-build dwelling and contributing to housing supply shortfalls, when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole under the tilted balance
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- ST1ST3CP2DM14DM28
- 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.
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