21/00170/AS – Vicarage, Ashford Road, St Michaels, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6PY
I am writing on behalf of the Tenterden & District Residents Association (TDRA) to object to this planning application for the following reasons:
- Insufficient green buffer zone between the site and the adjacent Ancient Woodland and Local Wildlife Site (LWS) – should be a minimum of 15m or the Kent Wildlife Trust recommended zone of 50m. See link https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/media/3731/planners-manual-for-ancient-woodland.pdf )opens in new window).
- Insufficient detailed assessment in the Ecological Report
- More detailed bat surveys are required
- More detailed assessment on impact to reptiles; amphibians (GCN) and hedgehogs is required – within the nearby AS application the ecological documents identified the following species:
- Bats – common pipistrelle, brown long-eared, soprano pipistrelle, nathusius pipistrelle, serotine and noctule.
- Newts – GCN, palmate, smooth and small newts.
- Reptiles – slow-worms and grass snakes.
- A considerable area of habitat has been lost at Pope House Farm, as well as Beechwood Farm (opposite) and this will be compounded by this proposal as the sites are very close to each other.
- The ecological report refers to the site abutting Knockwood, but it abuts Dawbourne Wood. The report also states that ‘according to MAGIC Map, there are no active or historic EPSM Licenses within 2km of the Site’. The excerpt from Magic below shows where NE licenses have been granted which are less than 2km from the site.

- The site is in the High Halden parish but immediately adjoins the Dawbourne Wood, most of which is in Tenterden Parish, with the old Coever orchard beyond. The site is at present a field grazed by horses with trees on two sides and the woodland to the south and east, to form part of the wider wildlife corridor KWT is keen to preserve to the north of Tenterden.
- There would be potential harm to the Roman Road running through the site, an heritage asset.
- Access onto A28 could be potentially dangerous.
- It appears there is no offer of much needed affordable housing.
Siggi Nepp
TDRA Planning Secretary
Posted by
Tuesday 16th February 2021
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