®Planning appeal decision
Land at School Lane, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks, TN15 5AW
Outline application for up to 6no. Custom-Build Dwellinghouses, with associated parking and biodiversity enhancements with some matters reserved
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Bowyer J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- the effect of the proposal on the landscape character and appearance of the area including on the Kent Downs AONB
- whether or not 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 it
What decided it
The cumulative harm to the Green Belt (by reason of inappropriateness, loss of openness and conflict with Green Belt purposes) together with harm to the Kent Downs AONB was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
substantial weight given to Green Belt harm and great weight to AONB landscape harm was not clearly outweighed by significant weight to housing supply, substantial weight to self-build provision, significant weight to biodiversity net gain, and moderate/limited weight to environmental sustainability, PRoW upgrade and economic benefits, so very special circumstances were not established and the appeal was dismissed
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy EN1, Policy EN5, Policy SP11, Policy SP2
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.