Land at Rose Farm, Hamlet Hill, Roydon, Essex, CM19 5JU

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the use of the land for a gypsy and traveller site is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
• The effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt.
• The effect of the use of the existing access on the safety of users of Hamlet Hill.
• Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the development.

What decided it

The substantial harm to the Green Belt (through inappropriateness and loss of openness) combined with the significant harm to highway safety at the site access was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations advanced, so the very special circumstances needed to justify the development did not exist.

The substantial harm to the Green Belt and to highway safety was not clearly outweighed by the significant weight given to the appellants' personal circumstances and lack of an alternative site, the moderate weight given to site suitability and the best interests of Child D, and the limited/very limited weight given to site supply and Green Belt inevitability considerations, so the appeals were dismissed.