Five Oaks Charlwood Road, HORLEY, RH6 0AJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt and its effect on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it
• the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the development on biodiversity and protected species
• if the proposal would be inappropriate development, would the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, be clearly outweighed by other considerations, and if so, would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt from the proposed dwellings compared to the existing low-profile rural buildings, combined with the absence of very special circumstances to justify inappropriate development, determined the appeal.

The substantial harm to Green Belt openness and purposes, and harm to character and appearance, were not outweighed by the moderate benefit of housing supply, limited economic and social benefits, limited weight for use of previously developed land, and limited environmental benefits; the tilted balance did not apply due to Green Belt protection policies providing a clear reason for refusal.