®Planning appeal decision
Godstone Golf Club Rooks Nest, Godstone, Surrey, RH9 8BY
Restoration of former M25 works compound to create new 300 yard practice ground with 8 covered bays and teaching studio, new practice bunker, grass practice tee and short game area, provision of conveyance swales and three attenuation ponds. Associated ecological enhancements including the planting of 4,049 sqm of wildflower meadow and 2,440 trees
- Authority
- Tandridge District Council
- Appeal type
- other · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- leisure-sport · Unknown
- Inspector
- Wilkinson S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether or not the appeal scheme is inappropriate development and the effect of the proposal on openness and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt
- The effect of the scheme on the landscape character and appearance of the area
- Whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations such as to provide the very special circumstances required to justify development in the Green Belt
What decided it
The economic, social and especially environmental benefits (restoration of a despoiled site with significant biodiversity net gain) were found to clearly outweigh the limited harm to Green Belt openness, establishing very special circumstances.
the economic, social and environmental benefits of the scheme clearly outweighed the limited harm to the openness of the Green Belt, so that very special circumstances existed to justify the inappropriate development
Framework references: 153, 154, 155, 143, 180, 205, 96, 102, 85, 150, 194
Plan policies cited: DP10, DP13, CSP18, DP7, CSP17, DP19
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.