®Planning appeal decision
Westcroft Park Farm, Windlesham Road, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SN
Planning appeal 3323755 at Westcroft Park Farm, Windlesham Road, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SN (Surrey Heath Borough Council) was dismissed on 18 December 2023 by Inspector Holden S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to local and national planning policy.
construction of 20 dwellings with associated parking, access and landscaping following demolition of existing buildings (except Post Box Cottage)
- Authority
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Holden S
- Postcode
- GU24 8SN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to local and national planning policy
- whether the proposed development would be harmful to the character and appearance of the area
- whether the proposed development would be a suitable location for a residential development having regard to the Council's spatial strategy and the site's accessibility to local facilities and services
- whether the proposed development would provide an acceptable level of affordable housing
What decided it
The site's unsuitability for residential development due to lack of access to local facilities and services by modes other than the private car, combined with harm to character and appearance and inadequate affordable housing provision, outweighed the modest benefits of housing delivery on previously developed land.
The benefits of providing 20 new homes on previously developed land, including modest social and economic benefits, were outweighed by the site's unsuitability for housing due to poor accessibility to services, conflict with the spatial strategy, harm to character and appearance, and failure to provide adequate affordable housing; these harms carried very significant weight in the planning balance.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP1Policy CP11Policy CP2Policy CP5Policy DM9
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 149Paragraph 105Paragraph 112Paragraph 79Paragraph 110Paragraph 111
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.