Chambers Farm Town Road Higham Rochester Kent ME3 8ER Data via plota.co.uk

20260026 - Full Planning Application Approved

Proposal

Erection of building for use as packaging materials store. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
12 Jan 2026
✓
Validated
15 Jan 2026
✓
Consultation
26 Mar 2026
✓
Approved
7 May 2026

Approved on 7 May 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 6 Jul 2026

Associated applications 2

Site constraints 4

Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 1. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Also on the record
Radon affected area, class 3; National infrastructure project about 1982 m away: Lower Thames Crossing; Green belt about 23 m away: London.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) 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
Gravesham
Application type
Full Planning Application
Postcode
ME3 8ER
Received
12 Jan 2026
Validated
15 Jan 2026
Ward
Higham And Shorne
Parish
Higham
Case officer
Show
Target decision
12 Mar 2026
Decision
Permitted
Decision date
7 May 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 112 days from validation, 56 days slower than Gravesham's median of 56 for commercial premises. Approved, as 79% of commercial premises here are.

58%decided within 8 weeks
79%approved
7%go to committee

Plota live figures for commercial premises decided by Gravesham in the last twelve months, from validation. Gravesham decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14436232
Planning Portal ref
PP-14436232
Neighbours
20 Jan 2026
Consultation
26 Mar 2026
Comments by
9 Apr 2026
Statutory expiry
12 Mar 2026
Env. assessment
No
Gravesham
Planning Authority Score
4.4/10
Below average
#180 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Gravesham ranks #104 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Gravesham is also one of the strictest councils - it refuses more householder applications than almost any other, with only 78% approved vs 90% nationally.

One of the strictest councils
only 78% approved vs 90% nationally
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Gravesham decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
75%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #287 of 296
78%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #286 of 296
72%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #104 of 296
36%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #110 of 296
58%
Minor dwellings approved
64 decided (1-9 homes)
50%
Major dwellings approved
6 decided (10+ homes)
65%
Change of use approved
34 decided
619
Total decisions
156 refused in the year to March 2026