®Planning appeal decision
Plot 4 Grazing Land South Of Viaduct Terrace, Horton Road, South Darenth, Kent, DA4 9AX
Planning appeal 3325354 at Plot 4 Grazing Land South Of Viaduct Terrace, Horton Road, South Darenth, Kent, DA4 9AX (Sevenoaks District Council) was allowed on 21 November 2024 by Inspector Renaudon L, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The question arising in this appeal is therefore, upon assessment of the harm to the Green Belt, whether there are other factors in the case amounting to very special circumstances that could justify a grant of planning permission.
the change of use of the land for the stationing of 3 touring caravans for occupation by an extended Romany Gypsy family . Summary
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- caravan-gypsy · Change of use
- Inspector
- Renaudon L
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The question arising in this appeal is therefore, upon assessment of the harm to the Green Belt, whether there are other factors in the case amounting to very special circumstances that could justify a grant of planning permission.
What decided it
The combination of the Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year supply of gypsy and traveller sites, the absence of realistic alternative non-Green Belt sites, and the best interests of the children in achieving a settled existence amounted to very special circumstances outweighing the identified Green Belt harm.
The substantial adverse weight attributed to Green Belt inappropriateness and limited harm to openness was outweighed by the cumulative very special circumstances (policy compliance, unmet need/lack of 5-year supply, absence of alternative sites, and the children's best interests), so permission was granted for Appeal A, while Appeal B was dismissed to avoid prejudicing the continuing equestrian use of the wider site.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP6Policy GT1
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.