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Dismissed13 February 20243332880

50 & 52 Bluebell Drive, Spennymoor, DL16 7YF

Planning appeal 3332880 at 50 & 52 Bluebell Drive, Spennymoor, DL16 7YF (Durham County Council) was dismissed on 13 February 2024 by Inspector Hartley D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the loss of public open space is justified in development plan policy terms.

change of use of land from public open space to domestic garden and enclosure with 1.8 m high brick wall and timber fence

Authority
Durham County Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Change of use
Inspector
Hartley D
Postcode
DL16 7YF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the loss of public open space is justified in development plan policy terms
  • The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The loss of public open space that has both functional and visual value, combined with significant harm to the character and appearance of the area through enclosure, could not be justified under development plan policy.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 26 of the County Durham Plan 2020Policy 6 of the County Durham Plan 2020Policy 29 of the County Durham Plan 2020
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 12

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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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.