®Planning appeal decision
National Car Hub, Land Situated to the South and East of Back Lane, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0LS
Planning appeal 3344208 at National Car Hub, Land Situated to the South and East of Back Lane, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0LS (Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 20 February 2026 by Inspector Braithwaite J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the use of the land is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, requiring assessment of whether the use harms the openness of the area and/or compromises the purposes of including land in the Green Belt.
the material change of use of the land from an agricultural use to a use for the parking and storage of vehicles, together with equipment, parts, materials, and other paraphernalia associated with a car sales operation and vehicle maintenance, including but not limited to scrap and trailers and the associated erection of fencing and lighting columns, siting of a container, the forming of bunding and laying of hard standings
- Authority
- Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
- Appeal type
- enforcement · Enforcement Notice
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Braithwaite J
- Postcode
- WS9 0LS
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the use of the land is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, requiring assessment of whether the use harms the openness of the area and/or compromises the purposes of including land in the Green Belt
- The effect of the change of use of the land on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the harm caused by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations such that very special circumstances exist
What decided it
The material change of use to vehicle parking is inappropriate development in the Green Belt that harms openness and countryside character, with no very special circumstances to justify permission.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- GB1 of the Walsall Site Allocation Document (WSAD)GP2 of the Walsall Unitary Development Plan (UDP)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 187Paragraph 153
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 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.