News Maidstone Borough Council Statement Regarding Pilgrims Retreat, Hogbarn Lane, Harrietsham, Kent

The Pilgrims Retreat site has planning consent for 18 residential caravans and 180 holiday related caravans, so 198 in total. There are presently in excess of 198 caravans on the site.

In September 2019, Maidstone Borough Council Planning Committee refused a retrospective planning application to increase the number of caravans on site to 248, all for residential use.

On 27 February 2020, MBC Planning Committee considered the significant breaches of planning control at Pilgrims Retreat and the options for future action.  The Committee made the decision not to proceed with enforcement action in the first instance, but rather hold this action in abeyance for a nine-month period, pending the establishment of an elected Member Working Group to work with the site owner and their advisors with a view to inviting the submission of a further planning application within this timeframe. If ultimately, a revised planning application isn’t received, the Planning Committee decided the Council will then revert to enforcement action at this point, as set out in Option 1 of the Planning Committee report that can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/3arg7PY

At the current time the Council has a High Court Injunction in place dated 18 April 2019 to prevent further caravans or mobile homes being brought on to the site or to permit the occupation for residential or holiday/recreational purposes of any caravan or mobile home which are on the land for the purposes of a “show home.”

Accordingly, Maidstone Borough Council advises any prospective vendors or buyers to seek their own independent legal advice in the first instance.

---