It has been revealed Michael Gove overturned a decision allowing a housing development in the Kent countryside, criticising its “generic suburban nature” and the harm it would do to the landscape.

A decision notice from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) issued this week tells of how a troubled bid for 165 new homes at Turnden, in Cranbrook has been put to a halt by the Secretary of State.

The proposal by developer Berkeley Homes was called in by then-Secretary of State Robert Jenrick in April 2021 - meaning that Tunbridge Wells council could not decide on the application themselves.

The council's planning committee had originally voted to back the scheme in January 2021, but it was called in to central government after Natural England contacted the DLUHC.

An independent inspector carried out an inquiry into the plan for homes in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and recommended that the cabinet member, now Michael Gove, approve it.

However, Minister for Housing and Planning Rachel Maclean, decided on behalf of Michael Gove to refuse permission for the development.

Documents detail how Mr Gove viewed the plans as “of a generic suburban nature which does not reproduce the constituent elements of local settlements.

“He also considers that the layout of the scheme does not respond to its AONB setting.

“Overall the Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector that there would be some harm to the High Weald AONB, which would be limited, and that the harm to the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald AONB attracts great weight.”

However, the administration of Tunbridge Wells council is not pleased with the decision.

Cllr Hugo Pound (Lab) cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “The decision by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities is a very disappointing one.”

“The council strongly believes that the site was appropriate for development, and is taking advice from Kings’ Counsel about next steps in relation to either dropping the site or considering its further development.”

He went on to say that in his personal opinion: “I don’t think the Secretary of State should interfere in the aesthetics and framing of design, those are local issues that are addressed by our planning department and by our members who saw it at the planning committee.”

“We are deeply frustrated by central government’s interference in local planning decisions and we hope that we will be able to continue to provide appropriate housing for all tenures going forward,” he said.

Not all Tunbridge Wells councillors are dismayed by the move though.

Cllr Nancy Warne (TWA) opposed the scheme from the start, and was on Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Councils’ neighbourhood plan group when the proposals came forward.

“It would be in an urban sprawl, sort of merging with the next hamlet of Hartley, so that’s completely out of character with the settlement pattern which is really distinctive in the area,” the Benenden and Cranbrook representative said.

Under planning law, building in AONBs should be avoided except in exceptional circumstances.

Cllr Warne added that: “Even within our patch we felt that the housing numbers Cranbrook needs could be met at alternative sites.

“We didn’t feel that it was justified and that exceptional circumstances had been met.”

Cllr Warne was on TWBC’s planning committee at the time, but members aren’t meant to participate in decisions on applications where they have another interest which may affect their decision.

Due to her involvement with the parish council’s neighbourhood plan group, she didn’t participate in the planning committee’s original decision.

She said: “Natural England called the decision in for consideration by the Secretary of State; that is a really major thing, they hardly ever do that.

“They were very unhappy about this major development in the AONB.”