®Planning appeal decision
Woodlands Farm, Wood Lane, Arborfield, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 4TS
i. Without planning permission, the material change of use of ‘the Land’ to a sui generis use of a contractor’s yard (including the storage of materials, equipment associated paraphernalia and parking of vehicles) and offices. ii. Without planning permission, the erection of two office buildings, the laying of hard surfacing, engineering operations to level the land, erection of security gates and fences
- Authority
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Higenbottam H
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the development on highway safety
- whether the development is appropriate to a countryside location
- the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the development on the living conditions of occupiers of nearby properties particularly in relation to noise and disturbance
What decided it
The cumulative and unmitigable harm to highway safety, rural character and appearance, and neighbours' living conditions (noise and disturbance) from the contractor's yard use outweighed the economic benefits and comparative sustainability of the site.
the economic benefits of the contractor's yard and its no-greater-unsustainability than the previous lawful use did not outweigh the harm found to highway safety, character and appearance, and living conditions
Plan policies cited: Policy CP1, Policy CP3, Policy CP6, Policy CP9, Policy CP11, Policy CC01, Policy TB20, Policy TB21, Policy GA1
Judgments cited: Mansi v Elstree RDC [1964] 16 P&CR 153
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.