1 Parkgate Cottages Parkgate Road, Orpington, Kent, BR6 7PY

demolition of existing former industrial/agricultural buildings and erection of single storey four bedroom dwellinghouse

Authority: Sevenoaks District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Miles H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework 2024 and any relevant development plan policies
The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area including with regard to the Kent Downs National Landscape
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

The serious harm to the character and appearance of the nationally important Kent Downs National Landscape, combined with the inappropriate development status in the Green Belt, was not clearly outweighed by the moderate housing benefits, such that very special circumstances do not exist.

The moderate benefits of providing one new home and addressing housing land supply shortfall were outweighed by substantial weight given to Green Belt harm and serious harm to the nationally important landscape, with the strong reason for refusal relating to National Landscape policy displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

Framework references: 11, 154, 7

Plan policies cited: EN5

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.