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Dismissed31 January 20223273188

Sevenoaks Road , Halstead , Sevenoaks, Kent , TN14 7HR

Planning appeal 3273188 at Sevenoaks Road , Halstead , Sevenoaks, Kent , TN14 7HR (Sevenoaks District Council) was dismissed on 31 January 2022 by Inspector Wilkinson S, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the Green Belt, including any effects on openness and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt.

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
Postcode
TN14 7HR

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

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy L01Policy L08
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 73Paragraph 98Paragraph 105Paragraph 137Paragraph 138Paragraph 149Paragraph 174Paragraph 219

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.

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The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.