Four Elms Stores Four Elms Road Four Elms Kent TN8 6NL Data via plota.co.uk

25/03118/LDCPR - Lawful Development Certificate Proposed Refused
Change of useCommercial premises

Proposal

Change of use to hand carwash and addition of perspex screen. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
31 Oct 2025
✓
Validated
2 Jan 2026
✗
Refused
24 Feb 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 24 Feb 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 25 Jul 2026

Documents 5

Decision & officer reports 3

PDF OFFICER REPORT Decision · 24 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF REFUSE - LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE Decision · 24 Feb 2026 View ↗ PDF HISTORIC DECISION - SE/97/2018 Application Details · 31 Oct 2025 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF APPLICATION FORM Application Form · 31 Oct 2025 View ↗

Other documents 1

IMG PHOTO 01 Application Details · 31 Oct 2025 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 6

Green belt: London
Inappropriate development needs very special circumstances.
Green belt policy allows a short list of exceptions, such as limited extensions and replacement buildings. Anything else needs very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm. Some green belt land can count as grey belt, where it does not strongly serve the green belt's purposes. The council decides this in its green belt assessment or on each application, so we do not mark it here.
Read the government guidance ↗
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
1 listed building within 150 m; Inside the Four Elms built-up area; Priority habitat 46 m away: Traditional orchard; Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 4, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · 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.

Building

Floor area27 m² (291 sq ft)
Energy ratingC (asset rating 54)
UseRestaurants and Cafes/Drinking Establishments/Takeaways
HeatingHeating and Natural Ventilation

From the energy performance certificate lodged in August 2024, the latest held for this property. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Other new applications on this street

14 Jul 2026Approved

Oaklands Four Elms Road Edenbridge Kent TN8 6AG

Various works to trees.

26/01871/WTPO
31 Mar 2026Approved

Sontay Ltd Four Elms Road Edenbridge Kent TN8 6AB

Construction of a new storage building for AW Champion at Fircroft Way in Edenbr...

26/00859/FUL

Important details

Council
Sevenoaks
Application type
Lawful Development Certificate Proposed
Postcode
TN8 6NL
Received
31 Oct 2025
Validated
2 Jan 2026
Ward
Cowden & Hever
Parish
Hever
Target decision
27 Feb 2026
Decision
Refused
Decision date
24 Feb 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Designhomeplan Ltd

How this decision compares

Decided in 53 days from validation, 9 days faster than Sevenoaks's median of 62 for changes of use. Refused, as 31% of changes of use here are.

48%decided within 8 weeks
69%approved
54decided in the last year

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Sevenoaks in the last twelve months, from validation. Sevenoaks decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Planning Portal ref
email
Statutory expiry
27 Feb 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

4 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2022 Approved
Oak Lodge Four Elms Road Four Elms Edenbridge Kent TN8 6NL
Reduce Oak Tree by 2.5m and epicormic growth.
22/02031/WTPO
2022 Approved
3 Brookfield Four Elms Edenbridge Kent TN8 6NJ
Formation of vehicle access.
22/00225/HOUSE
2020 Approved
Woodlea Craft And Design Bough Beech Road Four Elms KENT TN8 6NE
Prior notification for a change of use from Shops (Class A1), to Dwelling house (C3). Thi…
20/00977/PAC
2020 Approved
2 Brookfield Four Elms KENT TN8 6NJ
Formation of vehicular access .
20/00312/HOUSE
Sevenoaks
Planning Authority Score
5.6/10
Average
#115 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Sevenoaks ranks #109 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (90%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Sevenoaks decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
87%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #177 of 296
90%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #194 of 296
72%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #109 of 296
34%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #93 of 296
85%
Minor dwellings approved
213 decided (1-9 homes)
100%
Major dwellings approved
7 decided (10+ homes)
71%
Change of use approved
14 decided
1,130
Total decisions
143 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings

Freehold boundary: © Crown copyright and database rights 2026, HM Land Registry. Polygons © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey 100026316. Conditions of use

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.