®Planning appeal decision
Heath Drive, Send, Woking, GU23 7EP
outline planning application for up to 29 residential units with all matters reserved except for access
- Authority
- Guildford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Wallace J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposed development on biodiversity
- the character and appearance of the area, including the effect on the River Wey & Godalming Conservation Area
What decided it
The very substantial weight attached to the harm to bats from loss of foraging habitat supporting an adjacent maternity roost, combined with moderate weight to badger sett loss, meant the adverse biodiversity impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits of housing delivery, even under the tilted balance.
The benefits of market and affordable housing delivery (significant weight) and limited benefits from economic activity, heritage appreciation and biodiversity net gain were outweighed by very substantial harm to bats and moderate harm to badgers, resulting in adverse impacts that significantly and demonstrably outweighed benefits under paragraph 11d)ii of the Framework.
Framework references: 11, 16, 187, 193, 212, 213, 215
Plan policies cited: LPDMP Policy P6, LPSS Policy D1, LPDMP Policies D4 and D8, SNDP Policy 4, LPSS Policy ID4, LPSS Policy ID5, SNDP Policy Send 5, LPSS Policy H2
Judgments cited: Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin)
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.