Cuerdon Cottage Cuerdon Drive, Grappenhall And Thelwall, Warrington, WA4 3JU

retention of detached pergola covering outdoor cooking and seating area

Authority: Warrington Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Other minor developments
Inspector: Morgan R

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Appeal A: whether the pergola is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, including the effect on openness, and if so, whether very special circumstances exist that clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt
Appeal B: whether condition 3 of the original permission is reasonable and necessary to protect the Green Belt and preserve its openness

What decided it

For Appeal A, the pergola's cumulative effect with previous extensions results in a 43% increase in floorspace, exceeding the 33% disproportionality threshold in the SPD and NPPF paragraph 154c), constituting inappropriate Green Belt development with no very special circumstances to outweigh the harm. For Appeal B, the site's history of intensive development and potential for further harm to Green Belt openness justifies removal of permitted development rights for extensions and outbuildings, but not for hardstanding, fences or vehicular access.

Framework references: 54, 56, 152, 154

Plan policies cited: Policy GB1 of the Warrington Local Plan 2023, Policy CS5 of the Warrington Core Strategy

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.

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