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Dismissed14 December 20233327689

Land at School Lane, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks, TN15 5AW

Planning appeal 3327689 at Land at School Lane, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks, TN15 5AW (Sevenoaks District Council) was dismissed on 14 December 2023 by Inspector Bowyer J, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt.

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
Postcode
TN15 6FQ

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

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SP1Policy EN1Policy EN5Policy SP11Policy SP2
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Sevenoaks

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

  1. Allowed1 October 20266004899
    Lower Fawke Farm, Bitchet Green Road, Fawke Common, Underriver, TN15 0JX
  2. Planning permission granted28 September 20263378336
    Land South East Of Oaklands, St Clere Hill Road, West Kingsdown, Kent, TN15 6AH
  3. Allowed24 September 20266011192
    Land Surrounding The Stables, Underriver House Road, Underriver, TN15 0SJ
  4. Dismissed22 September 20266012481
    Well Hill Nursery, Fountain Farm, Firmingers Road, Orpington, BR6 7QH
  5. Allowed22 September 20266012162
    Oakwood House, School Lane, West Kingsdown, TN15 6AW

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.