Fox Covert Farm Fordfield Road, Millbrook, BEDFORD, MK45 2HZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the development is inappropriate development within the Green Belt for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework and development plan policy
• The effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
• The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
• Whether the occupants of the development would have reasonable access to goods and services
• The effect of the development on highway safety
• If the development is inappropriate, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations including whether there is an essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at the site, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development

What decided it

The absence of substantive evidence demonstrating an essential functional need for a permanent on-site rural worker's dwelling, meaning the identified Green Belt and other harms were not clearly outweighed by other considerations.

Substantial weight to the Green Belt inappropriateness and openness harm, moderate weight to character and appearance harm, and limited weight to harm from unsustainable access, against only limited weight given to the material considerations supporting the proposal, meaning the harms were not clearly outweighed and very special circumstances did not exist.