Up to 100 Blackthorn homes have won outline planning permission at Culverstone Green in Kent after an Inspector accepted a grey belt case supported by walking and bus improvements. The proposal concerns Blackthorn Farm beside the A227 and South Street, within Gravesham borough.
Inspector Edward Dade allowed appeal 6007106 on 15th October 2026, granting access approval while reserving the scheme’s other detailed matters. The decision secures 50% affordable housing through a planning agreement. A separate decision issued the same day refused Esquire Developments’ application for a full award of costs against Gravesham Borough Council.
I would separate the two outcomes. The housing proposal succeeded because of its planning merits and secured measures, including transport provision. That did not establish unreasonable behaviour by the council. For residents, the immediate change is outline permission for development, with detailed design and a substantial set of conditions still to address.
How the Blackthorn homes appeal reached a decision
The appeal followed the council’s failure to decide application 20250802 within the prescribed period. Its planning committee had indicated that it would have refused permission, although the officer had recommended approval. During the appeal, the council consolidated its objections into a single reason concerning the Green Belt.
The site comprises three parcels in equestrian use, separated by hedgerows and tree belts, with some farm buildings. It adjoins the built area of Culverstone Green but lies within the Green Belt. The Inspector found that it qualified as grey belt and that development would not fundamentally undermine the remaining Green Belt’s purposes across the plan area.
The Blackthorn homes assessment also identified significant unmet housing need. Gravesham’s latest position showed 2.53 years of deliverable housing supply, and its housing delivery measurement was below the relevant 75% threshold. However, the central contested question remained whether this particular village location could support sustainable movement.
Walking routes and the bus contribution mattered
Dade identified a primary school and nursery, shops, a post office, a community centre and recreation facilities within the village. The site was well related to these facilities and within comfortable walking distance. The nearby bus route connected the area with larger settlements, although existing service quality and infrastructure were disputed.
The decision did not overlook weaknesses. The road offered little attraction to less confident cyclists, while the walking route towards Meopham Green had poor surfaces, repeated road crossings and inadequate lighting. Some journeys would still require a bus or car. The Inspector considered those limitations in the rural context rather than assuming an urban level of accessibility.
For Blackthorn homes, the secured package includes footway improvements, lighting, dropped kerbs and tactile paving, crossings and bus-stop infrastructure. The planning agreement requires a proportionate contribution towards bus services, payable within six months of starting development and before occupation. This would make funding available for improvements in the short term.
The Inspector acknowledged uncertainty over longer-term service funding and future development along the wider A227 corridor. A single scheme could not reasonably fund the entire strategic route uplift. Nevertheless, the contribution was a realistic available mechanism, proportionate to the development, alongside direct walking improvements and a travel plan.
Affordable housing and infrastructure commitments
The Blackthorn homes scheme satisfied the applicable Golden Rules in the Inspector’s assessment. Half of the dwellings are secured as affordable housing, with provisions governing their tenure, delivery and operation. The agreement and conditions also address infrastructure needs generated by the development, rather than treating new homes as an isolated land-use change.
The decision addresses education, healthcare, adult social care, libraries, waste, leisure and community provision. Around two hectares of open space, equipped play and community grassland were identified, with an open-space plan and maintenance arrangements secured. Layout and landscaping remain reserved matters, so the illustrative arrangement should not be mistaken for final detailed approval.
Dade concluded that the development would not be inappropriate development in the Green Belt. His decision therefore did not depend on demonstrating very special circumstances. He also considered landscape, neighbouring amenity, ecology, drainage and heritage, concluding that the proposal could proceed subject to obligations and conditions.
Why the full costs application failed
The developer’s costs case alleged inadequate reasons, changing arguments and delays in agreeing common ground, conditions and obligations. The separate ruling found that the committee could reasonably rely on county council transport advice. Other cited development differed in scale and location, so similarity in refusal wording did not establish inconsistent treatment of comparable schemes.
Dade examined correspondence and negotiations, including the effects of the revised national planning framework. He found cooperation and continuing discussion rather than obstruction. The council’s handling of bus contributions and conditions was also not found unreasonable. He concluded that “an award of costs is not warranted”. Winning the appeal therefore did not transfer the developer’s appeal expenses to the council.
What still needs to happen
The Blackthorn homes permission carries 31 conditions. These cover reserved matters and timing, construction management, drainage, trees, archaeology, contamination, biodiversity, access, noise and other details. The main access and off-site highway works must be completed before occupation, while the emergency, pedestrian and cycle access has its own delivery trigger. Applications for the reserved matters must be made within 18 months of the permission, a shorter period intended to support early delivery.
For anyone following Blackthorn homes, I would use the complete appeal decision and condition schedule to check the next stages, and read the separate costs ruling before drawing conclusions about the council. Our Section 106 guide explains how planning obligations operate. The Inspector expressly assessed this proposal on its individual merits; neighbouring land does not receive permission through the same decision.
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