South Cottage, Redhill Road, COBHAM, KT11 1EF

demolition of buildings, removal of hardstanding and the erection of two detached dwellinghouses, with landscaping, parking and access

Authority: Guildford Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Buchanan R

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, including its effect on openness, having regard to local and national planning policy
its effect on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area
whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, or any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations to amount to very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The proposal would have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development and would harm the nature conservation interests of the SPA, and these substantial harms were not clearly outweighed by other considerations.

The substantial harm to the Green Belt due to inappropriateness and the substantial harm to the SPA were not clearly outweighed by the modest benefits of housing delivery, environmental improvements and economic benefits.

Framework references: 11, 12, 154

Plan policies cited: Policy P2, Policy P5, saved Policy NE4, saved Policy NRM6

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.