®Planning appeal decision
Westbrook Mills, Borough Road, Godalming, GU7 2AZ
described as, ‘outline application with all matters reserved for a 67 unit retirement scheme (including 30% affordable)
- Authority
- Waverley Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Sabu R
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 including the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV)
- whether the proposal would secure appropriate affordable housing
- the effect of the proposal on flooding
- the effect of the proposal on Wealden Heaths Phase 1 Special Protection Area (SPA)
- whether the proposal would meet the identified housing need in terms of housing mix
- the effect of the proposal on trees
- the effect of the proposal on biodiversity
- 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 proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt with no very special circumstances to justify it, as the identified benefits do not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt and other identified harms.
The benefits of housing delivery and proximity to sustainable transport were outweighed by substantial harm to the Green Belt, harm to the AGLV character and appearance, failure to secure affordable housing, flood risk concerns, and failure to meet housing mix requirements.
Framework references: 147, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy RE2, Policy RE3, Policy AHN1, Policy CC4, Policy NE1, Policy NE2, Policy AHN3, Policy DM1, Policy DM11, Policy GOD1
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.