David Marks, 78, a property developer living in Wateringbury, Kent, seeks permission from Ashford Borough Council to build a bungalow with an attached care suite on land he owns in Smarden. The proposed single-storey home would allow him to provide round-the-clock care for his wife Yvonne, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson's disease. Despite submitting revised plans after the council denied his initial proposal twice, including one for an eco-friendly house with five bedrooms, the third application was also rejected. Neighbors have supported Marks' bid, calling it necessary due to a lack of single-level housing options in Kent.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
David Marks, a 78-year-old property developer from Wateringbury, Kent, has faced repeated rejections from Ashford Borough Council in his bid to build a single-storey bungalow with an attached care suite on a former farm in Smarden. This is the third time his plans have been denied, raising concerns that he may not be able to construct it before his wife Yvonne's "end of life," given her advanced dementia and Parkinson's disease. Yvonne has been in a care home for nearly three years, and Marks wants to build this home so he can personally look after her. The proposed design includes eco-friendly features like solar panels and an orchard for food production, but both Smarden Parish Council and Ashford Borough Council have rejected it as unsuitable overdevelopment of the rural area. Marks is now appealing the latest decision with the Planning Inspectorate.
Written for “Dementia Care Housing Rejection” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
An elderly man who wants to build a small bungalow with an attached care suite so he can care for his dying wife has been blocked by council planners.
asserted
he → see → planners
David Marks, 78, is hoping to construct the single-storey dwelling in Smarden, Kent, for his spouse Yvonne, who suffers from dementia and Parkinson's disease.
asserted
who → hop → dementia
Mr Marks, who lives in nearby Wateringbury, wants to build the home so he could personally look after Yvonne, who has been in a care home for nearly three years.
uncertain
who → live → years
But he fears he will never get the chance to construct it before his wife's 'end of life', given Ashford Borough Council has now denied him permission three times.
asserted
Council → fear → permission
The property developer already owns the land in Smarden, which is a former farm - and is now appealing the latest decision with the Planning Inspectorate.
asserted
which → own → Inspectorate
Two years ago Mr Marks had plans for an eco-house with five bedrooms, which would have been off-grid, powered by solar panels and sheltered by bunds of earth.
asserted
which → have → earth
The proposed Grand Designs-style home would have come with a new pond to manage and recycle water and be surrounded by orchards for food production.
But Smarden Parish Council called those proposals an unsuitable 'overdevelopment' of the rural area and the borough council rejected them.
David Marks had hoped to construct the single-storey dwelling in Smarden, Kent, for his wife
The property developer already owns the land for the home in Smarden, which is a former farm
This was the second time Mr Marks had put forward plans for his dream home on the plot after the first proposals were rejected earlier in 2024.
asserted
proposals → propose → 2024
Planners ruled that the property did not meet the criteria to be classed as an 'exceptional' design and believed it would 'encroach' on the countryside.
asserted
it → rule → countryside
At the third time of asking, the parish council had no objection to his toned-down plans and it also received letters of support from neighbours with one calling it 'madness' not for it to be approved.
asserted
it → ask → it
They wrote: 'This application is in keeping with the existing development and will provide much-needed single-level living for the applicant and their disabled spouse.
asserted
application → write → applicant
'With an ageing population and people living longer with health conditions that impact on their mobility it is madness not to approve applications for single level dwellings.'
asserted
it → age → dwellings
Another resident added: 'We support this application as the proposal is in keeping with the character of the area and aligns with local planning policies.
asserted
proposal → add → policies
The single storey bungalow would improve the site's appearance.
asserted
bungalow → improve → appearance
In the submitted design and access statement, Mr Marks states: 'The intention is for his relocation from his existing home to the bungalow, when approved and constructed, to relocate and personally care for his wife from the care home in Maidstone she has occupied for over two years, resulting from her dementia, Parkinson's disease and intense nursing requirements.
asserted
she → submit → dementia
'
The proposals for the single-storey property which Mr Marks is hoping to build for his wife
Plans for the home, which Mr Marks has argued would contribute to housing delivery targets
The bungalow would need to be built quickly, overriding self-building regulations, but Mr Marks believes that 'such [regulations] can not reasonably be expected to be compatible with this application, as it is possible that 'end of life' may occur before a self-build finish becomes possible.'
uncertain
finish → hop → life
The plans were refused in June with the planning officer saying the 'proposal is unacceptable', wrongly encroaching on a greenfield site, despite taking 'into account the human rights issues'.
asserted
proposal → refuse → issues
Mr Marks is the managing director of development company DaVinci Properties, which he launched in 1989.
asserted
he → manage → 1989
The site is part of what used to be Church Farm which previously had industrial units, converted by Mr Marks during the pandemic into eight new homes.
asserted
which → use → homes
The remaining two-and-a-half acres behind the homes is where Mr Marks is hoping to build his eco-house.
He has now lodged an appeal, stating that the proposal would contribute to housing delivery targets which the council are finding 'challenging' and should be 'in favour of sustainable development'.
asserted
council → remain → development
Mr Marks further added in his appeal statement: 'In summary, the appeal proposal is aesthetically reasonable, with a design approach consistent with the attributes of local character and appearance, whilst bringing about the productive creation of a new home, at a time when there is a shortfall in the delivery of new homes.'
asserted
proposal → add → homes
An Ashford Borough Council spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'As this is a live application and currently going through the appeals process, we are unable to comment further.'
asserted
we → tell → process
The Aporia
