®Planning appeal decision
Debenhams Plc, 37-45 High Street, Staines-Upon-Thames, TW18 4QU
Planning appeal 3312440 at Debenhams Plc, 37-45 High Street, Staines-Upon-Thames, TW18 4QU (Spelthorne Borough Council) was dismissed on 13 July 2023 by Inspector Butcher H, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the setting of Staines Conservation Area and whether the development would preserve the setting of listed buildings in the vicinity of the appeal site.
the demolition of the former Debenhams store and redevelopment of site to provide 226 dwellings (Use Class C3) and commercial units (use Class E) together with car and cycle parking, hard and soft landscaping, amenity space and other associated infrastructure and works
- Authority
- Spelthorne Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Butcher H
- Postcode
- TW18 4QU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development on the setting of Staines Conservation Area and whether the development would preserve the setting of listed buildings in the vicinity of the appeal site
- The effect of the development on non-designated heritage assets
- The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
What decided it
The less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets (the setting of Staines Conservation Area and nearby listed buildings) was not outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme, disengaging the tilted balance and leading to overall conflict with the development plan.
the significant public benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing and economic benefits did not outweigh the less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets, the total loss of a non-designated heritage asset, harm to other non-designated heritage assets, and harm to character and appearance, resulting in conflict with the development plan as a whole
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EN5Policy EN6Policy EN1Policy EN9
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 202Paragraph 203Paragraph 199Paragraph 152
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 Spelthorne Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Dismissed29 October 20266008636Shepperton Studios, Studios Road, Shepperton, TW17 0QD
- Dismissed27 October 20266009563134 Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, TW16 5AY
- Allowed25 September 20266007620Eden Grove, 17-51 London Road, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4EX
- Allowed25 September 20266007619Eden Grove, 17-51 London Road, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4EX
- Dismissed16 September 202660105687 Caledonia Road, Stanwell, Staines-upon-Thames, TW19 7TD
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.