®Planning appeal decision
Land off Ratcliffe Highway, Hoo St Werburgh, ME3 8PX
outline planning application (all matters reserved except for access) for the erection of up to 240 residential dwellings, including affordable housing, together with a new vehicular access point from Ratcliffe Highway, open space, landscaping and associate d works
- Authority
- Medway
- Appeal type
- major · Planning
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential
- Postcode
- ME3 8PX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the appeal site is in an acceptable location in terms of the location of housing and sustainable travel options, having regard to local and national policies
- The effect on biodiversity, in particular any effects on international sites and on ground nesting birds
What decided it
The acute and worsening shortfall in the council's five year housing land supply (2.03-2.69 years) meant the substantial benefit of delivering 240 homes, including affordable housing, was not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the identified harms.
The substantial weight given to housing delivery (including 30% affordable housing), together with moderate economic, flood risk and biodiversity net gain benefits and lesser benefits, outweighed the considerable harm to character and appearance, the harm from limited sustainable travel options, the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land and the less than substantial harm to heritage assets, such that adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
Plan policies cited: Policy BNE25, Policy HOO8, Policy HOO12, Policy HOO6, Policy HOO11, Policy S1, Policy S2, Policy S6, Policy H3, Policy L4, Policy L10, Policy BNE35, Policy BNE37, Policy BNE39, Policy BNE48
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.