Brief
78‑year‑old developer denied third bungalow permit for wife in Kent
Ashford Borough Council has refused for the third time a planning application from 78‑year‑old David Marks to build a bungalow for his wife with dementia and Parkinson’s.
By Felo News Desk · Published
David Marks, 78, a property developer from Wateringbury, Kent, has had his third planning application to build a single‑storey bungalow with an attached care suite in Smarden rejected by Ashford Borough Council, according to dailymail.co.uk.
Marks, who owns the former farm plot in Smolden, says the home would allow him to care for his wife Yvonne, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson’s disease and has been in a care home for nearly three years. His earlier proposals – an eco‑house with five off‑grid bedrooms in 2024 and a Grand Designs‑style home with a pond and orchards – were dismissed as overdevelopment. The latest, toned‑down plans received no objection from the parish council but were still turned down because planners said the design did not meet the “exceptional” criteria and would encroach on the countryside.
Marks is now appealing the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, hoping to secure permission before his wife’s “end of life”. Neighbours have expressed mixed views, with some supporting the project as needed single‑level housing and others calling it “madness”.
Key facts
- David Marks, 78, has been denied planning permission three times for a bungalow in Smarden, Kent. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The proposed home would include a care suite for his wife Yvonne, who has dementia and Parkinson’s disease. (dailymail.co.uk)
- Marks is appealing the latest decision to the Planning Inspectorate. (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Property developer who wanted to build a small bungalow”
