®Planning appeal decision
Printstile Place Penshurst Road, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0LW
Planning appeal 3317458 at Printstile Place Penshurst Road, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0LW (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) was dismissed on 4 December 2023 by Inspector Shearing C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
demolition of outbuildings, erection of one new dwelling and garage, associated landscaping and hardstanding
- Authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Shearing C
- Postcode
- TN3 0LW
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 and any relevant development plan policies
- Effects on highway safety, with particular regard to the site access
- Effects on the character and appearance of the area including the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- Whether the site is suitable for new residential development, having regard to the local plan policies and accessibility to services and facilities
- 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's substantial impact on the spatial openness of the Green Belt, combined with harm to highway safety, could not be outweighed by the moderate benefits of a single dwelling contribution to housing supply and other considerations.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and significant harm to highway safety were not outweighed by the moderate benefits of housing delivery on brownfield land, economic benefits, and landscape enhancements, so very special circumstances did not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Core Policy 2Policy MGB1Core Policy 14Policy LBD1Policy EN25Policy EN1Policy TP4Core Policy 3Core Policy 4Core Policy 6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 137Paragraph 149Paragraph 11
- Judgments
- Turner v SSCLG & East Dorset Council [2016] EWCA Civ 466
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 Tunbridge Wells
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Dismissed2 July 20253361716The Meadows, Pastheap Farm Hastings Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4BL
- Dismissed2 June 20253347954Milford House Penshurst Road, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0PH
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.