Outline Planning Permission Secured from Dover for 9 Houses in Deal
Outline planning permission granted from Dover District Council for nine houses in Deal, overcoming an open space designation by demonstrating the land made no meaningful contribution to public open space provision.
PLANNING APPROVALSDOVERKENT
Andrew Ransome
6/19/20262 min read
In 2017, Dover District Council approved outline planning permission for nine houses in Deal, on a site designated as open space on the Council's proposals map.
The case was resolved by demonstrating that the land provided no meaningful public benefit as open space, was absent from the Dover Open Spaces Strategy, and that the Council could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
Overcoming Planning Policy Designations in Dover
In 2017, outline planning permission was obtained from Dover District Council for the erection of nine houses at the edge of Deal — a natural continuation of the settlement with good access to local services and public transport on foot.
The scheme was designed to deliver well-spaced dwellings set in generous plots, reflecting the spacious character of the surrounding area.
The principal planning obstacle was the site's designation on the Council's proposals map as open space.
Local policy is clear that proposals resulting in the loss of open space will not be permitted — a significant policy hurdle requiring a direct and evidenced rebuttal.
Two key arguments were advanced.
First, it was demonstrated that the site made no meaningful contribution to open space provision: it was not publicly accessible and did not feature in Dover District Council's Open Spaces Strategy, meaning its loss would have no impact on public open space in the area.
Second, a range of alternative and more appropriate publicly accessible open spaces were identified, all within short walking distance of the site and available to the surrounding community and future residents.
These arguments were reinforced by the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
Under the NPPF, where a council cannot evidence sufficient housing supply, restrictive local policies carry reduced weight and the nine new homes were shown to represent a meaningful and sustainable contribution to addressing the shortfall.
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Andrew Ransome MRTPI - Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
About me
Andrew Ransome is a Planning Director and a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), with more than two decades of experience in town planning.
He specialises in delivering strategic planning solutions for complex developments across both rural and urban environments, helping clients navigate planning challenges and unlock development opportunities. Connect with Andrew on Linkedin.
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