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Dismissed18 June 20243338095

Water Tower, Bar Lane, Midgley, Wakefield, WF4 4JH

Planning appeal 3338095 at Water Tower, Bar Lane, Midgley, Wakefield, WF4 4JH (Wakefield Metropolitan District Council) was dismissed on 18 June 2024 by Inspector Hughes L, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, including any effect on openness, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) and any relevant development plan policies.

a change of use from a water tower to short term let accommodation, including extensions and alterations, change of use of agricultural land to form curtilage of site, creation of hardstanding areas, and construction of new access

Authority
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector
Hughes L
Postcode
WF4 4JH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, including any effect on openness, having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) 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 necessary to justify the proposal

What decided it

The additional upper floor creates a disproportionate addition to the original water tower structure, causing substantial harm to Green Belt openness and purposes that is not clearly outweighed by the tourism and re-use benefits advanced.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
LP62SP10SP23LP56
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 124Paragraph 135Paragraph 139Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 152Paragraph 153Paragraph 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 applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024

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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.