Planning appeal decision
Burgham Park Golf Club, Burgham Park, Felton, NE65 9QP
Planning appeal 3303503 at Burgham Park Golf Club, Burgham Park, Felton, NE65 9QP (Northumberland County Council) was allowed on 13 March 2023 by Inspector Ware P, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt.
the removal of the greenkeepers’ compound and the construction of 48 dwellings (including 12 affordable houses), plus the upgrading of the access road, electric substation, SUDs, domestic package treatment works and domestic gas storage
- Authority
- Northumberland County Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Ware P
- Postcode
- NE65 9QP
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
- Whether the site is in a suitable location for new housing with regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan
- Whether a fallback position exists and the weight which should be accorded to it
- Whether the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development
What decided it
The existence of a genuine fallback position that would result in greater harm to the Green Belt and spatial strategy than the appeal scheme, which clearly outweighed the policy conflicts and provided the very special circumstances necessary to justify inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and effect on openness, and the conflict with spatial strategy policies, were clearly outweighed by the fallback position which would cause greater harm, combined with moderate weight for permanent housing provision and limited economic benefits, amounting to very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- NLP policy STP 1NLP policy STP 7NLP policy STP 8NLP policy HOU 3NLP policy HOU 6NLP policy HOU 7NLP policy HOU 8NLP policy INF 6TNDP policy 2
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.
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