®Planning appeal decision
92 Chain House Lane, Whitestake, Preston, PR4 4LB
Planning appeal 3329753 at 92 Chain House Lane, Whitestake, Preston, PR4 4LB (South Ribble Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 27 May 2025 by Inspector Hartley D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the breach of planning control constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
Unauthorised material change of use of land to a traffic management compound for storage, offices and parking, including erection of portacabins and palisade fencing, and unauthorised operational development consisting of erection of a storage building and additional portacabin forming a second storey
- Authority
- South Ribble Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Hartley D
- Postcode
- PR4 4LB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the breach of planning control constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt
- The effect of the unauthorised development 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 substantial harm caused to the openness of the Green Belt by the unauthorised development, combined with modest harm to character and appearance, was not clearly outweighed by the economic benefits and other considerations to justify the very special circumstances necessary to permit the development.
The substantial adverse weight afforded to the harm caused to the Green Belt and the moderate harm to character and appearance was not clearly outweighed by the economic benefits of the business (62 employees), the use of previously developed land, or the limited fallback position of potential Class E use, such that very special circumstances were not established to justify the development.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy G1 (Green Belt)Policy G17Policy 13Policy 17
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 131Paragraph 135Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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.