®Planning appeal decision
Land Adjacent to J4 M42, Box Tree Farm, Hockley Heath, Solihull, B94 6DX
Planning appeal 3273047 at Land Adjacent to J4 M42, Box Tree Farm, Hockley Heath, Solihull, B94 6DX (Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) was dismissed on 11 March 2022 by Inspector Boniface M, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the extent to which the development would harm the Green Belt and its purposes.
a motorway service area, associated highway improvement works and other associated infrastructure
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- other · Major retail and services
- Inspector
- Boniface M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the extent to which the development would harm the Green Belt and its purposes
- the effect on the character and appearance of the area, including landscape and visual effects
- whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The comparative extent of harm to the Green Belt and its purposes at each site, and whether that harm (with other harms) was clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
For Appeal A, the identified benefits (need, safety/welfare, economic and highway benefits, landscape and biodiversity gains) did not clearly outweigh the very considerable Green Belt harm and other harms, so the balance tipped against the proposal; for Appeal B, the lesser Green Belt harm together with heritage, ecological and economic benefits clearly outweighed the harms, tipping the balance in favour of the proposal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy P7Policy P8Policy P9Policy P10Policy P11Policy P14Policy P15Policy P16Policy P17Policy VC1Policy T3Policy T5Policy ENV1Policy ENV4
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.