Hazels, Woking, GU22 0SR

the demolition of the existing house and garage and erection of replacement dwelling and detached garage

Authority: Woking Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: O'Connor H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
The effect on the openness of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
The effect of the proposal on the living conditions of the occupants of Cedar House having regard to outlook and light
If found to 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 the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The realistic fallback position involving permitted development rights would be considerably more harmful to Green Belt openness and character than the appeal proposal, thereby establishing very special circumstances to justify the inappropriate development.

Framework references: 149, 130, 148, 180, 112

Plan policies cited: Policy CS6, Policy DM13, Policy CS21, Policy CS24, Policy CS22

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

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