®Planning appeal decision
Sevenoaks Road , Halstead , Sevenoaks, Kent , TN14 7HR
residential development of up to 800 dwellings, including affordable housing units and self build plots, retirement care community for up to 180 C2 units, primary school hub with associated sports facilities/outdoor space, sports hub including rugby and hockey pitches with separate car park and club house areas, 2ha of commercial B1 use, local centre including commercial, retail and community facilities and undercroft car parking for Knockholt station, country park/open space including landscaping, infrastructure and ground works with all matters reserved except for access
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Wilkinson S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the Green Belt, including any effects on openness and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on transport networks and the extent to which it would support the objective of promoting sustainable transport
- the nature and extent of any economic, social and environmental benefits which would result from the proposal
- whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations such as to provide the very special circumstances required to justify development in the Green Belt
What decided it
The substantial and definitional harm to the Green Belt, including harm to its openness and purposes, was not clearly outweighed by the identified benefits, so very special circumstances did not exist.
the benefits of housing delivery, C2 accommodation, self-build provision, sports and education facilities, economic growth and biodiversity net gain did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt, landscape and visual harm and harm from unsustainable travel patterns, so the appeal was dismissed
Framework references: 11, 73, 98, 105, 137, 138, 149, 174, 219
Plan policies cited: Policy L01, Policy L08
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.