Dering Wood, Smarden Bell Road, Smarden Data via plota.co.uk

NOT/2026/0275 - Forestry Commission Decision Made

Proposal

Forestry commission felling licence Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked 24 Aug 2026, 22:48

Application progress

✓

Received

5 Feb 2026

Decision

Expected by 5 Mar 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicted a decision around 9 Oct 2026; it is now day 246.

The consultation period closed on 18 Feb 2026.

Documents 6

Site constraints 6

Ancient woodland

Irreplaceable habitat. Standing advice asks for a 15 m buffer from the boundary.

National policy refuses development that would cause loss or deterioration of ancient woodland or ancient trees unless there are wholly exceptional reasons.

Article 4 direction

Potential Leisure Plots. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.

An Article 4 direction withdraws particular permitted development rights, so work that would normally need no application needs one here. Not every council has published its directions.

Tree preservation order

Consent is needed before work on protected trees.

Not every council has published its orders as open data, so no order shown is not proof there is none.

Priority habitat: Deciduous woodland

A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.

Habitat network: Ancient Semi Natural Woodland

Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.

Also on the record

Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 3, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.

Not affected

Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council: Ashford
Application type: Forestry Commission
Postcode: TN27 0SY
Received: 5 Feb 2026
Validated: 5 Feb 2026
Ward: Weald North
Parish: Egerton
Case officer: Show
Target decision: 5 Mar 2026
Decision level: Delegated Decision
Applicant: Show

Decision outlook

Day 246, past the statutory target. 96% of tree works in Ashford are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 21 Aug 2026.

target

predicted

Day 246190 days past the 56-day target

77%decided within 8 weeks

100%approved

144decided in the last year

Plota live figures for tree works decided by Ashford in the last twelve months, from validation. Ashford decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 21 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by: 18 Feb 2026

Ashford

Planning Authority Score

5.9/10

Average

#105 of 296 councils

Relevant to this application:

Householder decisions

Ashford is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #75 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (92%) than the national average (90%).

Faster than most councils

for householder decisions

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance

Ashford decision statistics

Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026

88%

Overall approval rate

Above avg (87%) #147 of 296

92%

Householder approved

Above avg (90%) #146 of 296

75%

Decided in 8 weeks

Above avg (63%) #75 of 296

40%

Extended time limit

Below avg (41%) #146 of 296

71%

Minor dwellings approved

106 decided (1-9 homes)

89%

Major dwellings approved

18 decided (10+ homes)

90%

Change of use approved

40 decided

991

Total decisions

123 refused in the year to March 2026