The application for planning permission to build five houses on land East of Cellar Hill in Lynsted has been refused by officers at Swale Borough Council. Here are the reasons given for the refusal.
1. The erection of five new dwellings on this site would introduce a prominent and intrusive form of development which would be harmful to the character and appearance of the countryside and could encourage sporadic development in the countryside which is unacceptable as a matter of principle.
2. The proposed development, by virtue of its location, design and scale would create development which will adversely affect the settings of the Cellar Hill & Greenstreet conservation area and the nearby listed buildings, which would cause considerable harm to the special character of the conservation area and to the special interest of the nearby listed buildings.
3. Cambridge Lane and Cellar Hill by reason of their restricted width, poor alignment and substandard junctions with Lynsted Lane and Canterbury Road (A2) are considered unsuitable to serve as a means of access to the proposed development and any increase in the use of these lanes and junctions will be prejudicial to road safety and significantly harm the character of these rural lanes.
4. The proposed development would not conserve, enhance or extend biodiversity or provide for biodiversity net gain. It will result in significant harm to biodiversity and orchard trees on the site and the compensatory measures/mitigation does not outweigh the harm of the proposal as a whole.