Policy information sourced from the Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan 2021-2038
LPRHOU11: Rebuilding, Extending, and Subdivision of Dwellings in the Countryside.
1. Outside of the Maidstone Urban Area, Larger Villages and Rural Service Centres as defined on the Policies Map, proposals for the replacement of a dwelling in the countryside which accord with national policy and meet the following criteria will be permitted:
- i. The present dwelling has a lawful residential use;
- ii. The present dwelling is not the result of a temporary planning permission;
- iii. The building is not listed;
- iv. The mass and volume of the replacement dwelling is no more visually harmful than the original dwelling;
- v. The replacement dwelling would result in a development which individually or cumulatively is visually acceptable in the countryside;
- vi. The replacement dwelling is sited to preclude retention of the dwelling it is intended to replace, or there is a condition or a planning obligation to ensure the demolition of the latter on completion of the new dwelling;
- vii. The traditional boundary treatment of an area would be retained;
- viii.Access points in number and width should be kept to a minimum to preserve the character of the countryside and rural lanes; and
- ix. The replacement dwelling would not have a negative impact on neighbouring residential amenity (privacy, daylight, sunlight, overshadowing or overbearing).
2. Proposals to extend dwellings in the countryside which meet the following criteria will be permitted:
- i. The proposal is well designed and is sympathetically related to the existing dwelling without overwhelming or destroying the original form of the existing dwelling;
- ii. The proposal would result in a development which individually or cumulatively is visually acceptable in the countryside;
- iii. The proposal would not create a separate dwelling or one of a scale or type of accommodation that is capable of being used as a separate dwelling;
- iv. Proposals for the construction of new or replacement outbuildings (e.g., garages) should be subservient in scale, location and design to the host dwelling and cumulatively with the existing dwelling remain visually acceptable in the countryside;
- v. The proposal would not have a negative impact on neighbouring residential amenity (privacy, daylight, sunlight, overshadowing or overbearing).
3. Proposals for the subdivision of an existing residential dwelling should meet the following criteria:
- a. The proposal will ensure that any existing and proposed dwellings meet the minimum space standards;
- b. Adequate off street parking access is maintained for existing and provided for new dwellings;
- c. The development will preserve the amenity of neighbouring properties.
4. In all instances account should be taken of the Residential Extensions SPD.
For more information, please visit Maidstone’s Local Plan Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan 2021-2038