®Planning appeal decision
Land at Junction of Hollybush Lane and Shortheath Lane, Burghfield Common
Planning appeal 3293738 at Land at Junction of Hollybush Lane and Shortheath Lane, Burghfield Common (West Berkshire District Council) was dismissed on 3 July 2023 by Inspector Plenty B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site would, in spatial terms, be a suitable location for a community building taking into consideration its greenfield location, the surrounding green infrastructure and the site's accessibility.
a new Church Hall (Use Class F.1f) and burial ground, with associated access, parking, and landscaping
- Authority
- West Berkshire District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- community-institutional · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Plenty B
- Postcode
- RG7 3JS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site would, in spatial terms, be a suitable location for a community building taking into consideration its greenfield location, the surrounding green infrastructure and the site's accessibility
- Whether the proposed use would meet an identified need for such a facility in the area and/or benefit the rural economy
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including with regard to its landscape setting
- The effect of the proposal on highway safety, with respect to parking provision and associated manoeuvring
What decided it
The proposal's location in poorly accessible open countryside without demonstrated local need, combined with substantial harm to character and appearance, could not be outweighed by the benefits of providing a place of worship.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- ADPP1CS10CS13CS14CS18CS19ADPP6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 85Paragraph 93Paragraph 174
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.