About The Appeal

The Appeal and What Happens Next

When Dover District Council refused the application, the applicant had the right to appeal that decision. This means the case is now being reviewed by the Planning Inspectorate, an independent body that considers whether the Council’s refusal should be upheld or overturned.

The appeal does not restart the planning application. Instead, it examines the evidence, the planning policies, the Council’s reasons for refusal, and the representations already made by residents, statutory consultees and interested parties.

For this appeal, the process will be handled through a 7-day hearing in September 2026. A Planning Inspector will consider written evidence, hear from the main parties, and examine the key issues before making a decision. The Inspector may also visit the site to understand the location, landscape, access, heritage setting and surrounding environment.

Why this matters

This appeal is a critical stage. If the Inspector dismisses the appeal, Dover District Council’s refusal stands. If the Inspector allows the appeal, planning permission may be granted, potentially with conditions.

That is why the strength, clarity and evidence behind local objections remain important. The appeal will consider issues including heritage harm, landscape impact, agricultural land, ecology, highway safety, access, cumulative development and whether the proposal complies with national and local planning policy.

Further submissions to the enquiry

Interested parties have been able to submit comments through the Planning Inspectorate’s Appeals Casework Portal. Save Ash Level has been working hard on this and has made comments on planning matters, supported by evidence.

Our position

Save Ash Level believes Dover District Council was right to refuse this application. The proposed development would cause unacceptable harm to a highly sensitive landscape, the setting of nationally important heritage assets, productive agricultural land, local ecology and rural roads that are unsuitable for the scale of construction traffic proposed.

We will continue to make the strongest possible case for the appeal to be dismissed.