Land East of Manor Trading Estate, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 4PS

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effects of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt.
• The effects of the proposal on safeguarded waste disposal sites within the adjoining Manor Trading Estate.
• The effects on the proposal of noise from the Manor Trading Estate.
• The effects of the proposal on the supply of and demand for parking for non-residential uses.
• Whether there is an adequate supply of housing land in the area.
• Whether there is an adequate supply of employment land in the area.
• Whether any harm to the Green Belt 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 combination of Green Belt harm (to which substantial weight was attached) and the unresolved noise harm to future residents' living conditions was not clearly outweighed by the housing, affordable housing and other benefits, so very special circumstances were not demonstrated.

The harm to the Green Belt (moderate to openness, limited to purposes, given substantial weight) combined with harm to living conditions from noise was not clearly outweighed by the substantial-weight benefits of housing and affordable housing delivery, even supplemented by limited employment land, environmental improvement and biodiversity net gain benefits, so the appeal was dismissed.