Land Rear of, 744 Wigan Road, Westhoughton, BL5 2DF

a 3 bed bungalow together with a single detached garage

Authority: Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Rafiq F

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt
the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposed development with specific regard to the risk of coal mining and land contamination
the effect of the proposed development on trees
if the proposal is 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 necessary to justify the development

What decided it

The proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt which, combined with harms to character and appearance, coal mining risk, and trees, cannot be justified by very special circumstances.

Framework references: 149, 148, 130, 174, 183, 131

Plan policies cited: Policy CG7AP, Policy CG3, Policy OA3, Policy CG4, Policy CG1

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.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.