®Planning appeal decision
Land at Warren Farm, between Junctions 16-17 of the M25 Motorway, Buckinghamshire, SL9 0QF
the erection of a motorway service area with all matters reserved with the exception of access from the M25, comprising of a facilities building, fuel filling station, electric vehicle charging, up to 100-bedroom hotel, service yard, parking facilities, vehicle circulation, landscaping, woodland and amenit y spaces, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)/attenuation, pedestrian and cycle links, retaining structures and associated mitigation, infrastructure and earthworks/enabling works
- Authority
- Buckinghamshire Council - Chiltern Area *
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- other · Major retail and services
- Inspector
- Dakeyne M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect on Green Belt openness and purposes
- the effect on the character and appearance of the area, including landscape and visual effects
- the impact on the designated heritage assets at Mopes Farm, with particular reference to the effect on their setting
- the effect on the BMV agricultural land
- the effect on veteran trees, ancient woodland, and biodiversity more generally
- the effect on aviation safety
- whether the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to constitute very special circumstances
What decided it
The existence of a less harmful alternative site (CVMSA/Iver Heath) capable of meeting the same identified need moderated the weight given to the appeal proposal's benefits, so that they did not clearly outweigh the substantial Green Belt and other harm to constitute very special circumstances.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt plus significant landscape harm, moderate BMV harm and limited veteran tree/aviation harm was not clearly outweighed by the substantial need and other benefits of the scheme, particularly given a less harmful feasible alternative site existed; the balance tipped against the appeal.
Framework references: 149, 137, 142, 145, 174, 180, 106, 210, 211, 148, 11, 57
Plan policies cited: Policy GC1, Policy GB30, Policy GC4, Policy CS4, Policy LB1, Policy LB2, Policy CS24, Policy CS32, Policy CS1, Policy GB2, Policy T2
Judgments cited: Secretary of State for the Environment v Edwards - Court of Appeal (1995) 69 P.&C.R. 607
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.