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Notice varied and upheld6 June 20223263193

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Tonbridge and Malling

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022

  1. Dismissed8 July 20266007841
    Land Adjoining Hazeldene, Pilgrims Way, Trottiscliffe, West Malling, ME19 5EW
  2. Dismissed18 June 20266004481
    Elpatos, Pilgrims Way, West Malling, ME19 5EP
  3. Notice varied and upheld10 April 20263341380
    4 Ruby Walk, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JT
  4. Dismissed24 March 20263374700
    Trench Farmhouse, Coldharbour Lane, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, TN11 9LE
  5. Dismissed3 March 20266002415
    The 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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.