®Planning appeal decision
Streamhawk Croft Knatts Valley Road, Knatts Valley, Sevenoaks, TN15 6XY
Planning appeal 3295848 at Streamhawk Croft Knatts Valley Road, Knatts Valley, Sevenoaks, TN15 6XY (Sevenoaks District Council) was dismissed on 29 March 2023 by Inspector Guest H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
demolition of existing dwelling and garage and reconstruct new 3-bedroom chalet style house and double garage
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Guest H
- Postcode
- TN15 6XY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the character of the surrounding area, and whether it would conserve and enhance the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would harm openness and fail to conserve and enhance the AONB, with no very special circumstances to justify it.
The moderate weight given to the increased energy efficiency of the proposed dwelling did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm by reason of inappropriateness and the harm to the openness of the Green Belt and character and appearance of the area including the AONB landscape character.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy GB4Policy SP1Policy EN1Policy EN5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 49Paragraph 130Paragraph 147
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.