Planning appeal decision
Land at Wellfield, Vicarage Lane, Westhead, L40 6HG
Planning appeal 3300148 at Land at Wellfield, Vicarage Lane, Westhead, L40 6HG (West Lancashire District Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 27 April 2023 by Inspector Moore D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt.
failure to comply with conditions imposed on Planning Permission Ref. 2017/1067/FUL dated 1st February 2018 for “Temporary hard surfacing to existing United Utilities access track (retrospective)
- Authority
- West Lancashire District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Moore D
- Postcode
- L40 6HG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies, and the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the development
What decided it
The tarmac surface has a suburban appearance and stands out as an alien feature in the Green Belt, causing visual harm and encroachment into the countryside that cannot be justified by very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy GN3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 150
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


More decisions in West Lancashire District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Allowed5 October 20266010014Land at Heathey Lane, Shirdley Hill, Halsall, West Lancs, L39 8SH
- Dismissed22 September 20266007428Land Adjacent to Model Farm, Plex Lane, Halsall, Ormskirk, L39 7JY
- Dismissed15 September 202660121883 Broad Lane, Downholland, Ormskirk, L39 7HS
- Allowed14 September 20266007163Prince Williams Inn, Beacon Lane, Dalton, WN8 7RU
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.
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