®Planning appeal decision
Milford House Penshurst Road, Speldhurst, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, TN3 0PH
erection of an eco-friendly 4 bed dwelling within the existing curtilage of the property set in an ecologically designed landscape
- Authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Knight A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- 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, including the High Weald 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 proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that would cause substantial harm to openness and would fail to conserve or enhance the natural beauty of the High Weald National Landscape, and the material considerations do not comprise very special circumstances sufficient to justify approval.
The substantial weight given to the harm by reason of inappropriateness and the significant harm to openness and the National Landscape was not outweighed by the modest contribution to housing supply, the proximity to the settlement boundary, or the claimed design and sustainability benefits, which are largely policy expectations rather than additional benefits.
Framework references: 11, 85, 149, 153, 154
Plan policies cited: Core Policy 2, Core Policy 4, Core Policy 14, Policy MGB1, Policy LBD1, Policy EN1, Policy EN25
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.