Land North East of Vine Cottage, Cobbs Hill, Chilham, Kent, CT4 8AL

Planning appeal 6003030 at Land North East of Vine Cottage, Cobbs Hill, Chilham, Kent, CT4 8AL (Ashford Borough Council) was dismissed on 7 May 2026 by Inspector Johnson B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be in a suitable location for housing, having regard to local and national policy.

the erection of a single residential dwelling

Authority: Ashford Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Johnson B
Postcode: CT4 8AL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be in a suitable location for housing, having regard to local and national policy
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area

What decided it

The adverse impacts related to the unsustainable location of the development and its incongruous character and appearance would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of addressing the housing land supply shortfall.

The moderate benefit of providing one residential unit to address the housing land supply shortfall was significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the adverse impacts of locating development in an unsustainable location and the harmful effect on character and appearance.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy HOU3aPolicy HOU5Policy HOU10Policy SP1Policy SP6Policy ENV3a
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 83Paragraph 84Paragraph 115Paragraph 135

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 Ashford Borough Council

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

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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.