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Dismissed16 April 20253347843

Marsden Nursery and Garden Centre, Pleasure Pit Road, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1HU

Planning appeal 3347843 at Marsden Nursery and Garden Centre, Pleasure Pit Road, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1HU (Mole Valley District Council) was dismissed on 16 April 2025 by Inspector Webb B, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt, including whether it would meet the 'Golden Rules' and within this context make appropriate provision of affordable housing.

erection of 23 dwellings (including 4 affordable units) with associated access, car parking and garaging, refuse/recycling storage, landscaping, earthworks and infrastructure following demolition and removal of existing buildings and structures

Authority
Mole Valley District Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Webb B
Postcode
KT21 1HU

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt, including whether it would meet the 'Golden Rules' and within this context make appropriate provision of affordable housing
  • the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
  • if the development was inappropriate, whether 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 necessary to justify it

What decided it

The scheme's failure to meet the Green Belt 'Golden Rules', particularly its failure to provide sufficient affordable housing, meant the harm from inappropriateness was not clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.

The other considerations in favour of the scheme attracted at best limited weight and did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt from inappropriateness and openness, together with the significant harm from insufficient affordable housing, so very special circumstances were not demonstrated.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EN1Policy EN4Policy H3
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 157Paragraph 73Paragraph 55

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.

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The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.