Landmark home gets country approval
A NEWseven-bedroom home is to be erected in open country- side at Liverton Hill after it was lauded for its architectural merit. Over 100 objections were
made against G Charlton and Sons’ application on land north of Ivy Farm, Headcorn Road, which will see the creation of an anaerobic digester on the same site 100 metres away. But Maidstone Council com- promised its policy of no de- velopment in the countryside because the application met the parameters of Government policy PPS7 (see panel right),, which allows high-quality landmark buildings to be es- tablished on rural land. Architect Piers Gough de- signed the scheme, which is set in 17 hectares of land and made up of a 18,000 sq ft property containing a large glazed
frontage with ragstone and tim- ber materials elsewhere in the building. The digester will transform fruit waste from the farm and other domestic recy- clables including cardboard and paper, into biogas to provide en- ergy for the house. It will also produce compost, whichwill be laid back onto orchard land and act as fertiliser. This reaches Code for Sustain-
ableHomesLevel6–the highest level of sustainability ever reached in the UK. It is predicted that the development will be a net producer of energy. The key consultee was SEEDA-funded South East Re- gional Design Panel, who strongly supported the scheme: The panel said: “It success-
fully fuses architectural innova- tion with a respect for its very special surroundings.We recog- nise that care has been taken in
CAMPAIGNERS fighting the proposal were frus- trated by the planning committee’s decision to grant permission. The 101 letters of objection sat alongside dissent
from Lenham and Boughton Malherbe parish coun- cils, KCC Cllr Jenny Whittle and CPRE England. Concerns included: Building is not outstanding or innovative Digester would be unsightly, noisy and smelly Increase in vehiclemovements May affect short and long distance views Would result in overshadowing of neighbour-
hood properties Out-of-keeping with a Special Landscape Area
and unspoilt nature of Greensand Ridge Committeemember Cllr Richard Ash, a self-con-
Ducatos targeted POLICE are investigating a se- ries of thefts involving catalytic converters. Three Ducato motor caravans parked on the forecourt of Wents Service Station in Ul- combe Hill, Ulcombe, had their catalytic converters removed. In two further incidents, a
58-reg Fiat Ducato in Ulcombe Hill and a white Ducato motor caravan parked on the drive- way of a property in Faversham Road, Lenham, were also tar- geted.
PeterWillson (far left) celebrates with BWT members and users
Computer image of the “high quality” seven- bedroon sus- tainable house that has been given the go-ahead for Liverton Hill
selecting the right position for the house, and especially com- mend the way environmental strategy has been at the heart of the design”. Cllr Clive English said: “I
don’t particularly like the de- sign but I would find it hard to put an argument together about whyweshouldturnitdown when it is supported by SERDP.” The application was voted through by nine to three, with one councillor abstaining.
Dissent falls on ‘deaf ears’ of committee
fessed fan of the Channel 4 TV series ‘Grand De- signs’, said: “This is 17 times larger than a four-bed family home. That’s grotesque. In previous cen- turies they needed big homes because large num- bers of people, for example servants, were needed to live there. This is an excessive size. The bar is set high for this type of application, but I don’t think it has cleared the bar. It has failed.” Kent Highway Services did not object over traffic increases because the current permission allows for unrestricted agricultural use, which could lead to more vehicle movements than a residential scheme. Another area of concern was that the ap- plication was accepted partly on the basis of sus- tainability, yet there was no condition that the digester should remain in situ.
Large houses can ‘enhance
the environment’ THE Government’s PPS7 policy states the following: “Very occasionally the ex- ceptional quality and inno- vative nature of the design of a proposed, isolated new house may provide this spe- cial justification for granting planning permission. Such a design should be truly out- standing and groundbreak- ing, for example, in its use of materials, methods of construction or its contribu- tion to protecting and en- hancing the environment, so helping to raise the stan- dards of design more gener- ally in rural areas.” The council’s development control manager Rob Jarman said: “The Government says England has a rich history of country houses that are a benefit to the public and doesn’t want this tradition to stop. It wants there to be great country houses this century as well.”
Trust’s Green Flag honour
BEARSTED Woodland Trust is one of the best community- run green spaces in the country - and that's official. The trust has been honoured with the Green Flag commu-
nity award, a sign that the site is a well-managed and wel- coming place. BWT life president PeterWillson said: "We are very proud.
This wonderful achievement is a true recognition of all the hard work done by all the volunteers working to make the community a better place. A wonderful team." A charitable trust was formed in 2004 when a village cou-
ple bought the land offWard, the home developers, and gave it to the village. BWT is to plant 3,000 trees along its Ashford Road and Roundwell boundaries at the end of November.
Pretty as a Picture
competition
VOTENOWfor your favourite picture by visiting
www.downsmail.co.uk
The winner will be invited back for a further sitting and to choose their favourite image on either canvas print or an acrylic wall art. For terms and conditions please see
www.maidstonephotofactory.co.uk
8 East
Win a portrait sitting & images worth £500 DownsMail To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
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