®Planning appeal decision
The Old Pheasantry Merrywood Grove, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, KT20 7HF
Planning appeal 3308357 at The Old Pheasantry Merrywood Grove, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, KT20 7HF (Reigate and Banstead Borough Council) was allowed on 14 August 2023 by Inspector Pattison B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and any relevant development plan policies.
change of use of part of the building to a school
- Authority
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- community-institutional · Change of use
- Inspector
- Pattison B
- Postcode
- KT20 7HF
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) and any relevant development plan policies
- The effect on the openness of the Green Belt
- Whether the school use is in a suitable location having regard to accessibility by sustainable modes of transport and highway safety
- If the proposal is inappropriate development, 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 necessary to justify it
What decided it
The provision of a much-needed Special Education Needs School serving a significant catchment area with a demonstrated deficit in such provision, combined with the inability to identify more suitable alternative sites, amounts to very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the limited harm to Green Belt openness and inappropriateness.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS3Policy CS13Policy CS17Policy DES1Policy DES9Policy TAP1Policy NHE5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 95Paragraph 105Paragraph 113Paragraph 148Paragraph 149Paragraph 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 Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Dismissed21 September 20266003001Eyhurst Farm House, Outwood Lane, Kingswood, KT20 6JS
- Notice upheld7 August 20263378370Land at Lower Duxhurst Farm, 15 Reigate Road, Sidlow, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8QH
- Dismissed4 August 20266008838Ashdown, Margery Lane, Lower Kingswood, KT20 7BG
- Allowed22 July 2026600612175 Ferndale Road, Banstead Surrey, SM7 2EX
- Dismissed2 June 20266005658108, Horley Road, Redhill, RH1 5AA
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.