Gypsy and traveller site at Land South Of Lenham Heath Road, Lenham Heath, Maidstone
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Maidstone Planning Committee on 12 Feb 2026.
No officer report was published for this decision; this summary is from the committee minutes.
What was proposed
The application was a retrospective request to use land as a gypsy and traveller site, with a mobile home, a tourer, parking, fencing, landscaping and a treatment plant.
“24/505018/FULL - RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF USE OF LAND TO A GYPSY OR TRAVELLER SITE INCLUDING 1NO. MOBILE, 1NO. TOURER, ASSOCIATED PARKING, FENCING, LANDSCAPING AND INSTALLATION OF PACKAGE TREATMENT PLANT - LAND SOUTH OF LENHAM HEATH ROAD, LENHAM HEATH, MAIDSTONE, KENT”
Minutes
Who spoke
A parish councillor addressed the meeting on this application, and the applicant's representative also spoke.
What members discussed
During debate, one councillor said he had been lobbied on the application.
“During the discussion, Councillor Harwood stated that he had been lobbied.”
Minutes
The decision
Permission was granted subject to the conditions in the report, with a change requiring fencing to protect hedging along a boundary.
“That permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report with the amendment of condition 7 (Site Development Scheme) to require chestnut spar fencing to protect the proposed native hedging along the boundary with Hillborne and ensure proper enclosure.”
“That the Head of Planning and Economic Development be given delegated powers to be able to settle or amend any necessary planning conditions and/or informatives in line with the matters set out in the recommendation and as resolved by the Planning Committee.”
Minutes
Councillors at the meeting
- Paul WilbyChairLib Dem
- Maureen CleatorLabour
- Fay GoochIndependent
- Donna GreenanIndependent
- Tony HarwoodLib Dem
- Kimberley MilhamIndependent
- Mark NaghiLib Dem
- John PerryConservative
- Paddy RiordanConservative
- Denis SpoonerConservative
- Val SpringettConservative
- Michael SummersgillIndependent
- Mike ThompsonLib Dem
- Stephen ThompsonDeclared an interestIndependent
- Dan WilkinsonLabour
Apologies Stuart Jeffery Independent, Claudine Russell Conservative
Source: Plota analysis of the council's minutes; parties from the council's list of councillors.
Sources
- Maidstone Planning Committee minutes, 12 February 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Maidstone's committee minutes. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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See the API →At the meeting
- Committee
- Maidstone Planning Committee
- Council
- Maidstone
- Date
- Thursday 12 February 2026
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Councillors
- 15Conservative 4Independent 4Lib Dem 4Labour 2Independent 1Show councillors
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Maidstone committee decisions →
This committee's year
56 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.