Abbey Gate Grain Store Abbey Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BT Data via plota.co.uk

26/503196/PNR - Prior Notification Class R Awaiting decision
Change of useCommercial premises

Proposal

Prior notification for the change of use of part of a building from agricultural use to a flexible commercial use falling within Class B8 of the schedule to the Use Classes Order. For its prior approval to: 1. Transport and Highways impacts of the development. 2. Noise impacts of the development. 3. Contamination risks on the site. 4. Flooding risks on the site. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
24 Aug 2026
Decision
Expected by 19 Oct 2026

This application is under consideration - no decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision around 19 Oct 2026, from Maidstone's recent changes of use.

Documents 1

Other documents 1

PDF Application Details Application Details · 18 Aug 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 10

Scheduled monument: Cistercian Abbey at Boxley
Scheduled monument consent is needed for any work to it, separate from planning permission.
Nationally important archaeology protected by the Secretary of State. Work that affects the monument or its setting is rarely permitted.
Historic England ↗
3 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: Abbeygate Cottages, Grade II, about 10 m from the postcode pin · 1 Grade I, 2 Grade II
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show all 3 with distances
Historic England ↗
Kent Downs National Landscape
Great weight to conserving the landscape; major development restricted.
Previously an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is still the designation in law. Since 2023 authorities must seek to further its purpose, not merely have regard to it.
Boxley Abbey conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Heritage at risk: Boxley Abbey: Barn and Precinct Walls, including Gatehouse, Boxley
On the register of historic places assessed as at risk.
A designated building, monument, park or conservation area assessed as at risk from neglect, decay or development. Proposals that secure its future are looked on favourably.
Historic England ↗
Public footpath about 17 m away
Matters where it crosses or adjoins the site: obstructing a path without a diversion order is an offence, and work cannot start until the order is confirmed.
Compiled from highway authority data, not the legal definitive map. A few authorities have not published, so no path shown is not proof there is none.
Habitat network: Network Expansion Zone
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Inside the Maidstone built-up area; Priority habitat about 21 m away: No main habitat but additional habitats present; 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

Checked on 11 September 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 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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Other new applications on this street

24 Apr 2026Approved

Boxley Abbey Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BT

Erection of a temporary timber garden studio (7.686m x 3.553m) to be used as a p...

26/501280/FULL
23 Sept 2026Pending

Boarley Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BS

Erection of a stable block, extension of the existing access road to provide a t...

26/503538/FULL
7 Aug 2026Pending

St Andrews Chapel Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BU

Submission of details pursuant to conditions 5 - Landscape Proposals, 7 26/50303...

26/503034/SUB
20 Jul 2026Pending

Land Adjacent To Willow Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BU

Permission in Principle for the erection of up to 4 no. dwellings.

26/502753/PIP

Nearby new applications

23 Sept 2026Pending

Boarley Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BS

Erection of a stable block, extension of the existing access road to provide a t...

26/503538/FULL
24 Aug 2026Pending

Abbey Gate Grain Store Abbey Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BT

Prior notification for the change of use of part of a building from agricultural...

26/503196/PNR
24 Aug 2026Pending

Abbey Gate Grain Store Abbey Farm Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BT

Prior notification for the change of use of part of a building from agricultural...

26/503196/PNR
7 Aug 2026Pending

St Andrews Chapel Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BU

Submission of details pursuant to conditions 5 - Landscape Proposals, 7 26/50303...

26/503034/SUB
7 Aug 2026Pending

St Andrews Chapel Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BU

Submission of details pursuant to conditions 5 - Landscape Proposals, 7 - Extern...

26/503034/SUB
7 Aug 2026Pending

St Andrews Chapel Boarley Lane Sandling Kent ME14 3BU

Submission of details pursuant to conditions 5 - Landscape Proposals, 7 - Extern...

26/503034/SUB

Important details

Council
Maidstone
Application type
Prior Notification Class R
Postcode
ME14 3BT
Received
24 Aug 2026
Validated
24 Aug 2026
Ward
Boxley Downs
Parish
Boxley
Case officer
Show
Target decision
19 Oct 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Bidwells LLP

Decision outlook

Day 41 of the 56-day target. Maidstone usually decides changes of use by day 56.

Day 4115 days to the 56-day target
63%decided within 8 weeks
82%approved
90decided in the last year

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

Consultation & key dates

Statutory expiry
19 Oct 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

2023 Approved
1 Abbey Gate Cottages Boarley Lane Sandling Maidstone Kent ME14 3BT
Demolition of the rear garden wall. Installation of a picket fence, arched pergola to fro…
23/501761/LBC
2023 Approved
1 Abbey Gate Cottages Boarley Lane Sandling Maidstone Kent ME14 3BT
Installation of a picket fence,trellis fence and archway to front with entrance gate (ret…
23/501760/FULL
2022 Refused
1 Abbey Gate Cottages Boarley Lane Sandling Maidstone Kent ME14 3BT
Listed Building Consent for demolition of rear garden wall and erection of a replacement…
21/506825/LBC
2022 Refused
1 Abbey Gate Cottages Boarley Lane Sandling Maidstone Kent ME14 3BT
Demolition of rear garden wall and erection of a replacement wall with new timber gate. R…
21/506824/FULL
Maidstone
Planning Authority Score
7.1/10
Good
#58 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Maidstone is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #34 out of 296. Only 30% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (91%) 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
Maidstone decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
84%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #225 of 296
91%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #175 of 296
81%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #34 of 296
30%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #55 of 296
76%
Minor dwellings approved
136 decided (1-9 homes)
75%
Major dwellings approved
20 decided (10+ homes)
75%
Change of use approved
44 decided
1,110
Total decisions
181 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings