®Planning appeal decision
Land at Spital Lane, Brentwood, CM14 5PQ
erection of 12 affordable apartments, including new vehicular access and associated parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Brentwood Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Felgate J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal proposal would constitute 'inappropriate development' in terms of green belt policy
- if so, whether the development would also cause harm to the green belt's openness or purposes
- whether the development would meet a need for affordable housing, and accord with relevant national policies relating to such housing in rural areas
- whether any harm to the green belt, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the 'very special circumstances' needed to justify such development in the green belt
What decided it
The harm to the green belt, carrying substantial weight under NPPF paragraph 153, was not clearly outweighed by the significant benefits of providing affordable housing, and therefore very special circumstances were not demonstrated.
the significant benefits of providing 12 affordable apartments to meet identified local need did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the green belt arising from inappropriateness, loss of openness, and conflict with green belt purposes
Framework references: 152, 153, 154, 143, 73, 82
Plan policies cited: BLP Policy MG02, BLP Policy H05
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.