It is therefore a little disingenuous to paint them as completely naïve and at the mercy of the officer’s advice.

I have attended many planning committees where members have been more than adept at delving straight to the issues at the core of the consideration. In fact, this is precisely what happened at the October 2019 planning committee where Cllr [Paul] Spooner, a highly skilled operator in a planning role, rightly called for a site visit for members to see first-hand the setting of the buildings.

On this basis, the members would have been thinking very carefully about how the determination should be made and in respect of the setting of the buildings.

The issues regarding flooding and the treatment of the oak tree on the site were considered by Justice Lang to have been fairly dealt with.

I urge members to re-consider the scheme in front of them and decide if they would have made the same choice with the officer reminding them of their specific duty in regard of the listed buildings.

Bewley will be more than happy to engage with the Ash Green Residents Association, but our view is that the quashed decision must be correctly determined first.

We must remember this scheme is the result of a lengthy process of consideration for allocation in a Local Plan as a strategic development site, and a number of planning applications and discussions with Historic England to minimise the impact on the setting of the listed buildings.