Riverside homes refused on appeal
DEVELOPERS of a luxury park home site on the riverbank at Yalding have lost their appeal against Maidstone Borough Council. John Hilden and Gary Haf- fenden appealed against the council’s failure to grant them a lawful development certificate within the prescribed period. But planning inspector Sara Morgan judged: “If the council had been in a position to deter- mine the application, it would have concluded that the pro- posed use would not have been lawful.” The inspector said the site only
had planning permission for sea- sonal use – not all year round – subject to a number of condi- tions. She also argued there was no existing unrestricted planning permission, as claimed by the applicants. John Hilden and Gary Haf- fenden bought the caravan park in Hampstead Lane in 2010 with a view to creating a 17-home hol- iday park on the riverbank. Maidstone Council has already
taken court action over alleged breaches of the site licence, which was put on hold pending the appeal. The applicants say an original planning consent dating back to 1953, and which contained con- ditions, expired in 1959. But the inspector ruled this was not the case.
Changes at shop DEREK Eagle has been given permission to remove planning restrictions on his farm shop in Sutton Valence. Planning consent dating back
to 2006 restricted Haven Farm Shop in North Street from open- ing between 8.30am and 5pm and demanded that 67% of its turnover should be grown at the farm. Mr Eagle, manager of Bearsted Farmers’ Market, was given permission to open from 8am to 6pm,Mondays to Satur- days, and to have no restrictions on where produce is sourced.
MOUNTAIN Farm (pictured) features on the front of the 2014 Staplehurst Calendar, which is now on sale. This year’s calendar – the
10th in the series to be pro- duced by the village – contains pen and ink drawings of places close to Staplehurst’s borders. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar, which costs £4, will be shared by Staplehurst Under- Five Playgroup, Chapel Lane Pre-School and Staplehurst Youth Club. The series has so far raised al-
8 South To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
River View Park in Yalding
The inspector concluded: “The application ... sought a certificate of proposed use to continue the use of the appeal site as a cara- van site without conditions or limitations. “It follows from my conclu-
sions that although the use of the appeal site as a caravan site with- out conditions would be lawful provided that use was seasonal, use of the appeal site as a cara- van site without limitations would not be. I do not have any power to modify the description of the proposed use. “I conclude that the council’s deemed refusal to grant a certifi- cate of lawful use or develop- ment in respect of the continuation of the use of land as a caravan site without conditions or limitations was well-founded and that the appeal should fail.”
Home refused A PROPOSAL to turn a holiday unit into residential accommo- dation in Hunton has been turned down. The scheme for 2 Foremans
Barn, Foremans Barn Road, which received consent to be converted into tourist accommo- dation in March 2005, was re- fused as it was felt it would “undermine the aim of promot- ing uses beneficial to building a strong rural economy”. Maidstone Council also said it
was unsustainable as occupiers would be heavily reliant on using private vehicles.
Farm is star of village calendar
most £13,000 for village organi- sations and charities. Buy your copy at The Staple-
hurst Photographic Society Ex- hibition at The Margaret Howard Hall on Saturday,Octo- ber 19.
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