Planning appeal decision
Oasthouse Nursery, Ash Road, Ash, Kent, TN15 7HJ
Planning appeal 3342128 at Oasthouse Nursery, Ash Road, Ash, Kent, TN15 7HJ (Sevenoaks District Council) was allowed on 11 September 2024 by Inspector Nicholls H, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposals would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the development plan and the Framework.
clearance of existing nursery facilities and erection of 18 homes with associated parking and landscaping incorporating Oast House
- Authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Nicholls H
- Postcode
- TN15 7HJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposals would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the development plan and the Framework
- the effect of the proposals on the openness of the Green Belt
- if relevant, 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
Neither scheme would cause substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt, so both qualified under the paragraph 154(g) exception and were not inappropriate development, with the substantial public benefits in any event outweighing any conflict with the development plan.
The Inspector found neither scheme conflicted with the development plan as a whole, and that any such conflict would be outweighed by Framework policies and substantial public benefits (housing supply, affordable housing, economic and biodiversity benefits), justifying permission being granted.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy LO8Policy LO1Policy SP3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 79Paragraph 154
- Judgments
- Turner v SSCLG [2016] EWCA Civ 466; R(oao Samuel Smith Old Brewery) v North Yorkshire CC [2020] UKSC 3
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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More decisions in Sevenoaks
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Allowed1 October 20266004899Lower Fawke Farm, Bitchet Green Road, Fawke Common, Underriver, TN15 0JX
- Planning permission granted28 September 20263378336Land South East Of Oaklands, St Clere Hill Road, West Kingsdown, Kent, TN15 6AH
- Allowed24 September 20266011192Land Surrounding The Stables, Underriver House Road, Underriver, TN15 0SJ
- Dismissed22 September 20266012481Well Hill Nursery, Fountain Farm, Firmingers Road, Orpington, BR6 7QH
- Allowed22 September 20266012162Oakwood House, School Lane, West Kingsdown, TN15 6AW
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.
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