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Dismissed30 January 20233299700

Little Betsoms Farm, Chestnut Avenue, Westerham, TN16 2EG

Planning appeal 3299700 at Little Betsoms Farm, Chestnut Avenue, Westerham, TN16 2EG (Sevenoaks District Council) was dismissed on 30 January 2023 by Inspector Smith J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, taking account of its effect on openness.

change of use of agricultural land to residential use, the erection of an outbuilding, wall and creation of a swimming pool

Authority
Sevenoaks District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Change of use
Inspector
Smith J
Postcode
TN16 2EG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, taking account of its effect on openness
  • if the proposal is inappropriate, 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 fails to preserve the openness of the Green Belt in spatial terms by introducing built development into a currently undeveloped part of the site, and the substantial harm by reason of inappropriateness is not clearly outweighed by other considerations sufficient to demonstrate very special circumstances.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy GB3Sevenoaks Core Strategy 2011Allocations and Development Management Plan 2015Development in the Green Belt Supplementary Planning Document 2015
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 138Paragraph 149Paragraph 150Paragraph 176

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Sevenoaks

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

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  5. Allowed22 September 20266012162
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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.