Land adjoining to Homewell house, Maidstone Road Service Road West, Sutton valence Maidstone, ME173LS

erection of 6 no. new build homes with associated parking, landscaping and access via new vehicle crossover

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Postcode: ME17 3LS

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
whether the development would be suitably located with regard to its accessibility to services and facilities by sustainable modes of transport
the effect on biodiversity

What decided it

The significant harm to the character and appearance of the area caused by the loss of a valuable open gap in the linear development pattern substantially outweighs the benefits of housing supply and sustainable location.

The adverse impacts of harm to character and appearance and conflict with design policies significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing supply and sustainable location, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

Framework references: 11, 61, 129, 135

Plan policies cited: LPRSP9, LPRQD4, LPRSP15, LPRSS1, LPRSP14(A)

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.