Land at Slack Fields Lane and Storth Lane, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield, S35 0DW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The main issue is the effect of the development without compliance with condition 2 of the 1995 permission on highway and pedestrian safety.
• Whether the development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having regard to relevant development plan policies and the Framework, including the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt.
• If the development is inappropriate development, whether the 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 development.

What decided it

The unauthorised means of access caused harm to highway and pedestrian safety (Appeal A), and the Green Belt harm from inappropriateness and loss of openness was not clearly outweighed by other considerations, so very special circumstances did not exist (Appeal B).

Substantial weight given to Green Belt harm from inappropriateness and to openness was not clearly outweighed by the little or very little weight given to the temporary harm of restoration works, the alleged GPDO fallback wall, and a permitted development restriction condition, so very special circumstances were not established.