The Cottage, 1 Cooks Hole Road, Enfield, EN2 0UD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposal would amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt
• the effect of the proposed outbuilding on the openness of the Green Belt
• whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Clay Hill Conservation Area (CHCA)
• whether the proposed development would be tantamount to the creation of a separate dwelling and if so the policy implications of this
• if the proposal would be inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to very special circumstances to justify it

What decided it

The harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, combined with moderate harm to openness and less than substantial harm to the conservation area, was not clearly outweighed by the limited private benefits to the occupiers.

The substantial harm to the Green Belt and moderate harm to openness, together with less than substantial harm to the conservation area, were not outweighed by the limited private benefits to the occupiers, so very special circumstances did not exist.