®Planning appeal decision
The Meadows , Bagshot Road , Woking , GU21 2RP
demolition and redevelopment to provide extra care apartments (within Class C2), landscaping, parking, access, provision of an informal crossing and other associated works
- Authority
- Woking Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Wilson L
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 an assessment on 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
- Whether or not the proposal would provide sufficient parking
- Whether or not the proposal would provide sufficient bin storage
- 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 substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, combined with harm to character and appearance and deficiencies in parking and bin storage provision, was not clearly outweighed by the benefits advanced, so very special circumstances did not exist.
The benefits of providing extra care accommodation (given significant weight), contribution to housing supply, economic benefits and social wellbeing benefits (given limited weight) did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt (to which substantial weight must be given), the moderate harm to openness, harm to character and appearance, and deficiencies in parking and bin storage.
Framework references: 149, 137, 148, 56, 81, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy CS6, Policy CS10, Policy CS13, Policy CS18, Policy CS21, Policy CS24, Policy DM11, Policy DM13
Judgments cited: Brentwood BC v SSE [1996] 72 P&CR 61
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.