®Planning appeal decision
The Barns, Daniel Farm, Smarden Bell Road, Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0SY
Planning appeal 3370145 at The Barns, Daniel Farm, Smarden Bell Road, Pluckley, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0SY (Ashford Borough Council) was dismissed on 30 October 2025 by Inspector Whitfield H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would constitute permitted development under Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q of the GPDO, having regard to (i) the agricultural use of the buildings; and (ii) whether the development would comprise building operations reasonably necessary to convert the buildings to dwellinghouses.
This application seeks to provide five new dwellings within the two agricultural barns. Three of these dwellings are 'smaller dwellings' and two of these dwellings are 'larger dwellings'. The barns subject of this proposed Change of Use are outlined within the Location Plan attached to this planning submission
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Whitfield H
- Postcode
- TN27 0SY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would constitute permitted development under Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q of the GPDO, having regard to (i) the agricultural use of the buildings; and (ii) whether the development would comprise building operations reasonably necessary to convert the buildings to dwellinghouses
- if it does, whether prior approval is required and should be granted having regard to whether the location or siting of the buildings makes it otherwise impractical or undesirable for the buildings to change from agricultural use to dwellinghouses in respect of the effect of the proposed development on protected species
What decided it
The appeal site was not demonstrated to have been used solely for an agricultural use as part of an established agricultural unit on or before 20 March 2013, as required by paragraph Q.1(a) of Class Q, due to evidence of substantial non-agricultural uses occurring over several years.
The decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Ashford Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed29 October 20266007592Homestall Farm, Ashford Road, High Halden, TN26 3BS
- Dismissed26 October 20266009946Daniel Farm, Smarden Bell Road, Pluckley, TN27 0SY
- Dismissed8 October 20266012673Land 150metres East by Southeast of Barkleys Farm, Burnthouse Lane, Smarden, TN27 8QQ
- Dismissed30 September 202660117174-6 Ashford Road, Tenterden, TN30 6QU
- Dismissed30 September 202660117144-6 Ashford Road, Tenterden, TN30 6QU
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.