®Planning appeal decision
Lower Bell, Petleys Farm Luxted Road, Downe, Orpington, BR6 7JS
Planning appeal 3334599 at Lower Bell, Petleys Farm Luxted Road, Downe, Orpington, BR6 7JS (London Borough of Bromley) was dismissed on 26 November 2025 by Inspector Naylor R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
without planning permission a material change of use of the land from agriculture to residential
- Authority
- London Borough of Bromley
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Naylor R
- Postcode
- BR6 7JS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that fails to meet the criteria of NPPF paragraph 155 (grey belt), with no very special circumstances advanced to justify it, and the extension of residential use into agricultural land conflicts with the purpose of safeguarding the countryside from encroachment.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy G2 of the London PlanPolicy 49 of the London Borough of Bromley Local Plan
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 143Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 57
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 authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Invalid4 August 20263363810106 High Street, Beckenham, BR3 1EB
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.