®Planning appeal decision
Land at Higher Counthill Farm, Turf Pit Lane, Oldham, OL4 2PZ
use of the land as a riding arena for equestrian purposes and the associated raising of land levels and the construction of an artificial surface, boundary fencing, and lighting columns on the land to facilitate the unauthorised use of the riding arena
- Authority
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Hartley D
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the breach of planning control as a whole, including the floodlights, constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt including its effect on Green Belt openness and purposes
- the effect of the breach of planning control, including the floodlights, on the character and appearance of the area
- if the breach of planning control is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify development
What decided it
The floodlights, when considered with the riding arenas and fencing, constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt that harms openness and character, and the harm is not clearly outweighed by other considerations including the benefits to horse welfare and exercise opportunities.
Framework references: 143, 153, 154, 155
Plan policies cited: JP-P1
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.