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Planning appeal decision

Dismissed23 July 20266007082

Rhode Farm, Seed Road, Otterden, ME9 0NN

Planning appeal 6007082 at Rhode Farm, Seed Road, Otterden, ME9 0NN (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 23 July 2026 by Inspector Clare Walker, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether there is an essential need for a dwelling to accommodate a rural worker at the appeal site.

described in the application form as ‘erection of an agricultural dwelling with associated garden and parking

Authority
Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type
Planning
Procedure
Hearing
Development
agricultural
Inspector
Clare Walker
Postcode
ME9 0NN

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether there is an essential need for a dwelling to accommodate a rural worker at the appeal site
  • the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the countryside, including the Kent Downs National Landscape

What decided it

The appellant failed to demonstrate an essential functional need for a rural worker to live permanently on the holding, meaning the proposal did not meet the exceptional circumstances required by Policy LPRCD3 or paragraph 84(a) of the Framework.

moderate positive weight from housing contribution, economic construction benefits and biodiversity net gain was outweighed by the significant weight attached to the harm arising from siting an unjustified dwelling in an unsustainable location, so the appeal was dismissed

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
LPRCD3LPRSP9LPRSP15LPRQD4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 84Paragraph 57Paragraph 189Paragraph 11

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 Maidstone Borough Council

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

  1. Dismissed29 October 20266010536
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  2. Allowed27 October 20266015190
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  3. Allowed27 October 20266011721
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  4. Allowed27 October 20266011076
    Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
  5. Allowed26 October 20266010539
    Land Rear Of 58 Church Street, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, ME17 4HN

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.