®Planning appeal decision
4 Queens Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 5LS
Planning appeal 3301985 at 4 Queens Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 5LS (Elmbridge Borough Council) was allowed on 19 December 2022 by Inspector Robinson N, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area and the Hersham Village Conservation Area.
Partial change of use from Class E (Commercial) to C3 (Residential), first-floor rear extension, roof terrace and alterations to fenestration
- Authority
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Robinson N
- Postcode
- KT12 5LS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area and the Hersham Village Conservation Area
- The effect of the proposal on the living and working conditions of occupiers of nearby buildings, with particular regard to their privacy and outlook
- Whether the proposal makes appropriate provision for affordable housing
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites engaged the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d)(ii) of the Framework, which favoured the grant of permission as the modest housing contribution and economic benefits would not be significantly outweighed by the failure to secure an affordable housing review mechanism on a demonstrably unviable scheme.
The modest contribution to housing supply on a brownfield site with good access to facilities and public transport, together with short-term economic benefits, outweighed the failure to secure an affordable housing review mechanism where the development was demonstrated to be unviable for policy-compliant contributions, in the context of the borough's shortfall in deliverable housing sites.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- ECS Policy CS5ECS Policy CS17ECS Policy CS21DMP Policy DM2DMP Policy DM12Design and Character Supplementary Planning Document (2012)Elmbridge Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (2020)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 8Paragraph 11
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
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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.