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Allowed14 December 20223275302

Merry Lees Billet Hill, Ash, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7HG

Planning appeal 3275302 at Merry Lees Billet Hill, Ash, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 7HG (Sevenoaks District Council) was allowed on 14 December 2022 by Inspector Allen M, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt.

the Change of use of land to residential use, for one gypsy traveller family. Site to contain one static caravan, one touring caravan and parking for two associated vehicles without complying with a condition attached to planning permission Ref 17/00796/FUL, dated 21 July 2017

Authority
Sevenoaks District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
caravan-gypsy · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Allen M
Postcode
TN15 7HG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
  • 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 proposal

What decided it

The personal health circumstances of the occupier and the best interests of the children living at the site carried considerable and decisive weight sufficient to outweigh the Green Belt harm.

The substantial weight given to Green Belt harm from inappropriate development was outweighed by the moderate weight given to unmet gypsy and traveller need and the considerable and decisive weight given to personal circumstances and the best interests of the children, resulting in very special circumstances justifying a further temporary permission.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EN1
Judgments
Smith judgment

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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More decisions in Sevenoaks

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022

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  5. Allowed22 September 20266012162
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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.