®Planning appeal decision
Land at Stoney Wood, Wrotham Road, South Street, Meopham, Kent, DA13 0QG
change of use of land from agricultural to C3 dwellinghouse, proposal to convert the existing agricultural barn into a single self build dwelling with associated hard and soft landscaping
- Authority
- Gravesham Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Reid L
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the requirements of BNG are relevant to the proposed development and, if so, whether such requirements are met
- The effect of the proposed development on the rural character of the area, having regard to the Meopham Downs Landscape Character Area
- Whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- Whether the location of the proposed development is suitable having regard to local spatial policy
What decided it
The failure to comply with the statutory provisions for Biodiversity Net Gain, combined with the adverse effect on rural character and the Meopham Downs Landscape Character Area, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the limited benefits of delivering one additional dwelling.
The limited benefits of one additional dwelling and associated social and economic benefits were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the adverse impacts on rural character, limited harm to the Meopham Downs Landscape Character Area, and failure to comply with statutory BNG provisions, even taking into account the Council's housing land supply shortfall.
Framework references: 11, 57, 84, 110, 115, 155
Plan policies cited: Policy CS01, Policy CS02, Policy CS12, Policy CS19, Design for Gravesham Design Code Supplementary Planning Document 2024
Judgments cited: Braintree District Council v SSCLG, Greyread Ltd & Granville Developments Ltd [2017] EWHC 2743 (Admin); [2018] EWCA Civ 610
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.