Blackstroud Lane East, Lightwater, GU18 5XR

Demolition of 3 existing buildings for 3 replacement buildings

Authority: Surrey Heath Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: employment-industrial · Change of use
Inspector: Rose C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework
the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
the effect on the character and appearance of the area
whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposal, with particular regard to the local development strategy
whether any harm 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 proposal would have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than existing development due to increased building volume and floorspace, and would significantly harm character and appearance, with insufficient other considerations to constitute very special circumstances.

Framework references: 11, 84, 85, 137, 147, 149, 150, 219

Plan policies cited: Policy DM9, Policy CP1, Policy CP2, Policy CP8, Policy DM1

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

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