®Planning appeal decision
Land at Seasons Farm, Pootings Road, Crockham Hill, Kent, TN8 6SD
conversion of existing agricultural barn to 1 no. residential dwelling, alongside the widening of the existing access point
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Leonard S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether or not the appeal proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- Whether the appeal proposal can provide an appropriate surface and foul water drainage scheme
- If the development is inappropriate, whether harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations, and if so, would this amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The cumulative impact of the residential conversion on the openness of the Green Belt through introduction of domestic paraphernalia, hardstanding, and increased activity, combined with inadequate drainage evidence, could not be outweighed by the modest housing and economic benefits.
The substantial harm to the Green Belt through loss of spatial and visual openness and moderate harm from inadequate drainage evidence were not clearly outweighed by the modest contribution to housing supply and economic and community benefits, so very special circumstances did not exist.
Framework references: 155, 173
Plan policies cited: Policy LO8 of the Sevenoaks District Council Local Development Framework Core Strategy (2011), Policy GB7 of the Sevenoaks District Council Allocations and Development Management Plan (2015)
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.