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Dismissed14 December 20233323090

Land South of Headley Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8QE

Planning appeal 3323090 at Land South of Headley Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8QE (Mole Valley District Council) was dismissed on 14 December 2023 by Inspector Woodwards O, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.

an Integrated Retirement Community (IRC) comprising up to 125 Extra Care Apartments (Use Class C2), up to 54 new homes (Use Class C3) (50% affordable homes) and the formation of a new vehicular access off Headley Road, with associated landscaping, parking, open space, green and blue infrastructure, and all other associated development works

Authority
Mole Valley District Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Woodwards O

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
  • whether or not the appeal site is an appropriate location for development of this type
  • whether or not an acceptable level of affordable housing is proposed
  • the extent of harm to the GB by reason of inappropriateness and any harm caused to the essential characteristics of GB and to the purposes of including land within the GB

What decided it

The significant and permanent harm to the Green Belt (loss of openness and conflict with Green Belt purposes) was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations, so very special circumstances were not demonstrated.

The substantial weight given to Green Belt harm and significant weight given to character and appearance harm outweighed the substantial and significant benefits of market and affordable housing, the IRC, biodiversity net gain and economic benefits, so very special circumstances did not exist and the appeal was dismissed.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy CS1Policy CS2Policy CS3Policy CS4Policy CS13Policy CS14Policy ENV4Policy ENV17Policy ENV22Policy ENV23Policy ENV24Policy ENV25ePolicy S1ePolicy EN1ePolicy H1ePolicy H3ePolicy H6
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 48Paragraph 61Paragraph 65Paragraph 74Paragraph 137Paragraph 138Paragraph 147Paragraph 148Paragraph 149Paragraph 174

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Mole Valley District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

  1. Dismissed20 October 20266013764
    Priory Lodge, River Lane, Leatherhead, KT22 0AU
  2. Dismissed19 October 20266011465
    Land to the South-East of Yarm Way, Leatherhead, KT22 8RQ
  3. Dismissed16 September 20266008528
    Henhurst Lodge, Beare Green Road, Beare Green, RH5 4PX
  4. Allowed11 September 20266012763
    Fourays, Horsham Road, Capel, Dorking, RH5 5LF
  5. Dismissed9 September 20266005433
    Land Opposite Manor House,, Headley, Headley Common, KT18 6NA

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.