Berry Farm, Blanks Lane, Newdigate, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 5ED

Without planning permission the erection of a wooden platform and two wooden sheds

Authority: Mole Valley District Council
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: agricultural · Householder developments
Inspector: Hocking P

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether or not the development constitutes inappropriate development within the Green Belt for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework
the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the development on highway safety
if the development is inappropriate, whether the 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 the development

What decided it

The unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the area, which was not outweighed by other considerations, despite the development not being inappropriate in Green Belt terms.

Framework references: 142, 143, 154

Plan policies cited: Policy S1, Policy EN8, Policy EN4, Policy EC6, Policy INF1

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.

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