Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 23 April 2024 by P Terceiro BSc MSc MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 15th May 2024 Appeal Ref: APP/L2250/W/23/3328847 Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent CT21 4NN • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr S Adlington against the decision of Folkestone and Hythe District Council. • The application Ref is 23/0937/FH. • The development proposed is a first floor 24hr security managers office and accommodation. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matters 2. Section E of the appeal form indicates that the description of development has not changed from that stated on the application form, albeit a different description has been entered. For the avoidance of doubt, I have used the description of development provided in the application form in the banner heading above. 3. There has recently been a revised National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) published by Government. The parties have had the opportunity to comment on this as part of their appeal submissions.

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision I have had regard to the revised Framework and to any representations received in my decision. Main Issue 4. The main issue is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host building and of the area. Reasons 5. The appeal site accommodates a small-scale industrial development comprising of different buildings. The main building, which is positioned close to the road, is a single storey metal structure with a pitched roof design that has been extended to the front with a single storey flat roof element. This building has a similar appearance to an agricultural building and has over time weathered into the landscape. 6. The site is in the countryside and the surrounding landscape is rural, consisting mainly of agricultural fields with small pockets of development including isolated dwellings and a public house. These buildings have a traditional appearance. The site is widely visible both in short and long-distance views due to the prevailing flat, low-lying topography of the Romney Marsh. The site lies https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/L2250/W/23/3328847 within a Local Landscape Area as identified by the Folkestone & Hythe District Council Places and Policies Local Plan 2020 (PLP). 7. Policy HB8 of the PLP states that extensions should seek to reflect the scale, proportions, materials, roof line and detailing of the original building and not have a detrimental impact on the street scene. Two-storey flat-roofed extensions will not be considered acceptable, unless the building itself is of a flat roof design. 8. The proposed first floor extension, due to its flat roof design and siting, would appear disconnected from the roof of the main building, thereby resulting in an unattractive form of development that would fail to blend sympathetically with the main roof profile. While the proposal would remain ancillary and would be subservient in its form and scale, its design would nevertheless appear at odds with the character of the host building. 9. The single storey extension has a flat roof. However, the main roof of the original building is pitched. As such, I do not find that the existing extension would justify the proposed development. 10.

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision Given that the site is open, the extended building would be prominent in views within Lower Wall Road. Whilst the proposal would be seen against the context of the industrial unit, it would not be of good design. As such, the proposal would appear incongruous in the street scene, thereby harming the quality and character of the surrounding countryside and failing to protect the landscape character of the Local Landscape Area. 11. Appropriate materials could be secured by planning condition, were I minded allowing the appeal. However, this would not overcome the harm caused by its unsympathetic design. 12. I note a previous planning application for a security hut, in the form of a converted mobile home, which was refused by the Council. Whereas it may be that the scheme before me would be within the parameters of the existing built form, this would not overcome the harm to the host building and character of the area that I have identified above. 13. Policy NE3 of the PLP says that proposals should protect or enhance the landscape character and functioning of Local Landscape Areas.

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision Development proposals that are inconsistent with this objective will not be permitted, unless the need to secure economic and social wellbeing outweighs the need to protect the area’s local landscape importance. 14. The appellant advises that the residential accommodation on site would be needed for security reasons, as the site has been subject to several acts of vandalism and theft in recent years, which has led to unnecessary costs to the businesses occupying the site. Such incidents have become more frequent. While the proposed accommodation would provide better control due to its elevation position, I am not persuaded that this proposal is the sole means to achieve on site security. As such, I find that the need to secure economic and social wellbeing would not outweigh the proposal’s harm to the Local Landscape Area. 15. In conclusion and for the reasons given, the proposal would harm the character and appearance of the host building and of the area. It would fail to accord with Policies HB1, HB8 and NE3 of the PLP, which amongst others, seek to https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/L2250/W/23/3328847 protect Local Landscape Areas and require development to make a positive contribution to its location and surroundings, enhance integration with existing buildings and not have a detrimental impact on the street scene. Planning Balance and Conclusion 16. The proposal would support local businesses, by providing a 24hr security managers office and accommodation. This benefit attracts limited weight in favour of the appeal proposal but does not outweigh the harm that I have identified. 17. Overall, I conclude that the proposal would conflict with the development plan read as a whole and there are no material considerations of sufficient weight to justify a decision otherwise than in accordance with it. Therefore, the appeal is dismissed.

Acoustic G R G Products, Lower Wall Road, West Hythe, Kent, CT21 4NN — Folkestone and Hythe District Council — P Terceiro INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3