Brookfield Farm Old Wokingham Road, WOKINGHAM, RG40 3BU

(i) the material change of use of ‘the land’ from agriculture and equestrian to vehicle storage, vehicle repairs and restoration and general storage with ancillary office, (ii) the erection of 2 no. buildings in connection with the unlawful use of ‘the land’ as outlined in blue on plan 2, (iii) the laying of hard-surfacing in connection with the unlawful use of the land as outlined in green on plan 2, (iv) the erection of a wall and boundary treatments in connection with the unlawful use of ‘the land’ in the areas outlined in green on plan 2

Authority: Wokingham Borough Council
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: employment-industrial · Change of use
Inspector: Jones D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the principle of development is acceptable, having regard to the relevant policies of the development plan
The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
Whether the development is in a suitable location, having regard to sustainable development and travel

What decided it

The development's conflict with the development plan's countryside and locational policies, together with the significant harm to rural character and appearance, was not outweighed by the limited economic benefits to the appellant.

the limited economic benefits to the appellant and planning history of the wider site did not outweigh the harm to the character and appearance of the area and the conflict with the development plan as a whole

Framework references: 11, 88, 89

Plan policies cited: Policy CC02, Policy CP9, Policy CP11, Policy CP15, Policy CP1, Policy CP3, Policy CP6, Policy CC01, Policy CC03, Policy TB21

Judgments cited: R (ZZZ Incorporated) v Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions [2003] EWHC 1092 Admin; Burdle & Williams v Secretary of State for the Environment & New Forest DC [1972] 1 W.L.R 1207; Prengate Properties Ltd v SSE [1973] 25 P&CR 311; Murfitt v Secretary of State for the Environment & East Cambridgeshire CC [1980] JPL 598; Caldwell & Timberstore Ltd v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities & Buckinghamshire Council [2024] EWCA Civ 467

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.