Plot 1a, Oaklands Farm / Park, Glaziers Lane, Normandy, Guildford, GU3 2SF

(i) The making of a material change of use to the use of the land for residential purposes through the stationing of caravans; (ii) The erection on the land of three buildings, gate and fencing; (iii) The laying of hardsurfacing to facilitate the stationing of caravans and the development outlined in (i) and (ii) above. The requirements of the notice are: (i) Cease the residential use of the Land; (ii) Remove from the Land all caravans, vehicles, buildings, fencing, gates and all paraphernalia brought onto the Land to facilitate the residential use of the Land (iii) Dig up and remove all hardstanding from the Land; (iv) Remove from the Land all materials, rubble, rubbish and debris arising from steps (ii) to (iii) above; and (v) Reseed the Land with grass

Authority: Guildford Borough Council
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Hearing
Development: caravan-gypsy · Change of use
Inspector: Orr H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the operational development on the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it
The effect of the development on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBHSPA)
Whether the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the grant of planning permission

What decided it

The substantial harm from inappropriateness together with the additional moderate harm to openness was not clearly outweighed by the personal circumstances, the lack of alternative sites and other benefits, so very special circumstances were not established.

the substantial harm by reason of inappropriateness and the moderate additional loss of openness outweighed the personal circumstances of the appellant's family, the benefits of a settled base and the lack of alternative sites, such that very special circumstances did not exist

Framework references: 142

Plan policies cited: Policy P2

Judgments cited: Turner v SSCLG & East Dorset Council [2016] EWCA Civ 466

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.