Land adjoining Moss House Farm,, Eardley End Road, Bignall End, Stoke on Trent, ST7 8NB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the carrying out of operational development comprising the reconstruction of a building following partial demolition to create a new building amounts to 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 and purposes of including land within it
• Whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations and, if so, would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the development

What decided it

The very substantial weight attached to the appellant's personal circumstances and to the significant practical and visual harm that would result from partial demolition of the building clearly outweighed the identified Green Belt harm, establishing very special circumstances.

Very substantial weight to the appellant's personal circumstances and the harm from demolition, together with substantial weight to design/scale considerations, clearly outweighed the substantial Green Belt harm from inappropriateness and the limited harm to openness, amounting to very special circumstances justifying the development.