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Allowed8 July 20263376221

Land West Of Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8HR

Planning appeal 3376221 at Land West Of Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8HR (Swale Borough Council) was allowed on 8 July 2026 by Inspector Courtney T, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the Important Local Countryside Gap.

an Outline Application (with all matters reserved) for the erection of a care home (Class C2), with associated parking, landscaping and substation

Authority
Swale Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
community-institutional · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Courtney T
Postcode
ME9 8HR

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the proposal on the Important Local Countryside Gap
  • whether the site is suitably located for the proposed development, having regard to the Council's Spatial Strategy
  • the effect of the proposal on Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land
  • the effect of the proposal on ecology, with particular regard to protected species and priority habitats

What decided it

The significant benefits of delivering a much-needed care home and its contribution to housing land supply outweighed the moderate harm arising from conflict with the development plan.

the moderate harm from conflict with the development plan (ILCG erosion, spatial strategy conflict, loss of BMV land) was outweighed by the significant benefits of meeting an identified care home need and contributing to housing land supply, so the 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 ST 1Policy ST 3Policy DM25Policy DM31Policy DM28Policy DM34
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 92Paragraph 117Paragraph 129Paragraph 187

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 Swale

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Allowed23 January 20263368586
    Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD
  2. Allowed10 December 20253365131
    Land At Sandbanks Lane And Seasalter Road, Graveney, Kent , ME13 9DU
  3. Dismissed23 October 20253365056
    Cowstead Farm, Queenborough Road, Halfway, Kent, ME12 3RL
  4. Dismissed2 October 20253360939
    2 Parsonage Chase, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 3JL
  5. Planning permission granted24 September 20253366417
    Land at The Yard, Beckenham Park Industrial Estate, Sittingbourne, ME8 7UX

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.