®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Alfold Garden Centre, Alfold Crossways, Please select, GU6 8JE
outline application, with all matters reserved except access, for residential development of the site (circa 80 dwellings) and a workspace hub (circa 100sq m, class B1), with associated access, landscaping, sustainable drainage, and associated infrastructure
- Authority
- Waverley Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Sturgess M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- whether the location of the proposal is suitable for residential development having regard to the Council's spatial strategy
- whether the Council can demonstrate a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites
- whether the potential loss of an area of the best and most versatile agricultural land is acceptable
- whether the site is large enough to provide for the required play space, the up to 86 dwellings and other associated features
- whether the development would lead to the unacceptable loss of protected and other trees
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites, which the Inspector found provided the strong case needed to justify development on best and most versatile agricultural land, combined with the proposal's overall accordance with the development plan.
the lack of a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites amounted to a strong case for development on the site which overrode the policy need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land
Framework references: 174, 105, 79, 57
Plan policies cited: Policy RE1, Policy TD1, Policy D1, Policy D4, Policy SP2, Policy ALH1, Policy RD9, Policy LRC1, Policy NE2, Policy D7
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.