Planning appeal decision
Rosador, London Road, Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7RR
Planning appeal 3263193 at Rosador, London Road, Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7RR (Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 6 June 2022 by Inspector Lewis D, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the matters stated in the notice as constituting the alleged breach of planning control have occurred as a matter of fact and more specifically whether the use of the Land changed to the alleged mixed use (ground (b)).
Without the benefit of planning permission, the unauthorised change in use from class C3 (dwellinghouses) to mixed use residential/business in relation to use class B2 (general industrial) and use class B8 (storage and distribution), erection of structures in connection with business uses and creation of hard standings within the Metropolitan Green Belt and North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Lewis D
- Postcode
- TN15 7RR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the matters stated in the notice as constituting the alleged breach of planning control have occurred as a matter of fact and more specifically whether the use of the Land changed to the alleged mixed use (ground (b))
- Whether the material change of use to a mixed use took place before 16 October 2010 and continued substantially uninterrupted for a period of 10 years thereafter (ground (d))
- Whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances to justify the development (ground (a))
- Whether the requirements are excessive, having regard to the purpose of the enforcement notice to remedy the breach of planning control (ground (f))
- Whether the compliance period of 6 months is reasonable and proportionate (ground (g))
- Whether the Council's decision to refuse to issue an LDC is well-founded (Appeal 2)
What decided it
The substantial and significant harm to Green Belt openness and to character and appearance was not clearly outweighed by the limited benefits, so very special circumstances did not exist.
the substantial harm to the Green Belt and significant harm to character and appearance were not clearly outweighed by the limited weight given to employment land supply, moderate weight to the appellant's business need, and little weight to the Oakdene comparator and the permitted development fallback, so the balance fell against the development
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP3Policy CP24Policy CP7Policy SQ1Policy M1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 119Paragraph 149Paragraph 150
- Judgments
- Burdle v Secretary of State for the Environment & New Forest DC [1972] 3 All ER 240; 1WLR 1207
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Tonbridge and Malling
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022
- Dismissed8 July 20266007841Land Adjoining Hazeldene, Pilgrims Way, Trottiscliffe, West Malling, ME19 5EW
- Dismissed18 June 20266004481Elpatos, Pilgrims Way, West Malling, ME19 5EP
- Notice varied and upheld10 April 202633413804 Ruby Walk, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JT
- Dismissed24 March 20263374700Trench Farmhouse, Coldharbour Lane, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, TN11 9LE
- Dismissed3 March 20266002415The Lodge, 2 Yaldham Manor Drive, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 6FA
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
®