Land Adjacent to Windsor Lodge, Windsor Road, Bowers Gifford, Basildon, SS13 2LH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
• the effect of the development on the purposes of including land within the Green Belt
• would the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm, be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The combination of unmet Gypsy and Traveller pitch need, lack of alternative sites, persistent policy failure and the best interests of the children amounted to very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the harm to the Green Belt.

The substantial weight attached to the harm of inappropriateness and minor harm to openness, together with limited weight given to intentional unauthorised development, was clearly outweighed by the very great weight given to unmet need, lack of alternative sites, policy failure and the best interests of the children, amounting to very special circumstances.