A public inquiry will be held in the New Year over plans to build a large warehouse near the M20.

In July, Maidstone council refused permission for a logistics hub to be built on a triangle of land off the Ashford Road at Hollingbourne, amid fears it would spoil the approach for visitors to Leeds Castle.

But the developer, Wates, has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate and the case will now be determined by planning inspector Darren McCreery at a hearing at Maidstone Town Hall starting on Monday, January 8, at noon.

It is expected to last four days.

Wates was told at the start, when it first promoted the scheme in 2019, that the application would be viewed unfavourably because of its adverse effect on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and its countryside location.

The company said it had refashioned its plans with extra landscaping to overcome those objections.

But the application was still refused on the grounds that it would cause significant harm to the character and appearance of the countryside and landscape and have an adverse effect on the Kent Downs AONB.

It was also noted there was no legal mechanism to improve the biodiversity of the site.

The company argues the reasons are invalid given the site is bordered by major roads on three sides and has the Woodcut Farm logistics development – now known as LOC8 – which was granted permission back in March 2021, on the other.

It said it was confident that an agreement could be reached with the council on the biodiversity net gain mechanism before the inquiry.

A Wates spokesman said: “There will inevitably be change to the landscape character caused by the development, but this would be limited in scale and should be seen within the wider context.”

The firm intends to bring three expert witnesses to the inquiry to speak on the landscape issue and the economic need for the project.

It says it accepts that the plot is located within the setting of the AONB but that the site itself is not a valued landscape.

That was disputed by Maidstone councillor Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) who said: “The appeal site is a prominent parcel of farmland at a key transport junction and is sensitive not just for the potential negative impact on the setting of the nationally protected Kent Downs to the north, but also on the adjacent picturesque Len Valley to the south.”

He said: “The appeal site is not large enough to be adequately screened by trees and other vegetation.

“Development on the scale proposed at this ‘gateway’ site would add to the creeping industrialisation of the countryside around the historic Leeds Castle.”

The 2.8 hectare plot is currently used for arable farming.

Wates proposes to build one large warehouse with a floorspace of 10,788sq m and a maximum height of 15m. It would have 16 docking bays for HGVs and provide parking for a further 24 HGVs.

In addition, there would be 100 car parking spaces for staff and visitors as well as cycle and motorcycle spaces.

Members of the public may attend the inquiry and may be allowed to speak at the inspector’s discretion.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, visit publicnoticeportal.uk

Details of the Wates application can be seen on the Maidstone council website here.

Look for application number 23/500899