Medvale House, Mote Road, Maidstone, ME15 6AH

Planning appeal 6005653 at Medvale House, Mote Road, Maidstone, ME15 6AH (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 7 September 2026 by Inspector Ian Dyer, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would provide suitable living conditions for future occupiers, having particular regard to private amenity space.

Change of use of Medvale House to 87 residential apartments, including associated infrastructure works, communal areas and amenity spaces

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: major · Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Inspector: Ian Dyer
Postcode: ME15 6AH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would provide suitable living conditions for future occupiers, having particular regard to private amenity space
Whether the proposed development would provide an appropriate standard of accommodation having regard to fire safety

What decided it

The combination of inadequate private amenity space contrary to local policy and unresolved fire safety concerns regarding reliance on a third-party shared escape stair, which together demonstrate that good design and human safety would not be delivered by the scheme.

The benefits of 87 dwellings in a sustainable location and the Council's housing land supply shortfall (carrying significant weight) were substantially outweighed by the poor design quality due to inadequate private amenity provision and the unacceptable fire safety risks, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not justify permission.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy LPRQD7Policy LPRSP15Policy S4
National Planning Policy Framework: Policy S4

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Maidstone 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.