Land adjacent to Lombardy House, Bittell Farm Road, Barnt Green, Worcestershire, B45 8BP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
• Whether the site is sustainably located
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
• Whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations and if so, whether this would amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The substantial weight given to the harm caused by inappropriate development in the Green Belt and moderate harm to its openness, combined with the lack of very special circumstances, outweighed the limited weight of other considerations including self-build status and housing supply contribution.

The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and moderate harm to openness, together with moderate harm to character and appearance and unsustainable location, were not clearly outweighed by limited weight benefits from self-build status, housing supply contribution, and personal circumstances; the tilted balance did not apply due to clear Green Belt protection reasons for refusal under paragraph 11d)(i) of the Framework.