®Planning appeal decision
Land at 1-5 Hillside, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9LH
Planning appeal 3350737 at Land at 1-5 Hillside, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9LH (Elmbridge Borough Council) was dismissed on 24 January 2025 by Inspector Butcher H, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
the erection of 38 no. use class C3 retirement homes along with vehicular and pedestrian access, internal roads, car parking, amenity space, landscaping, drainage, and other associated works and infrastructure including alteration of site levels (includes reapplying for 18 no. dwellings which already have planning permission under LPA ref. 2018/3678)
- Authority
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Butcher H
- Postcode
- KT10 9LJ
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 Green Belt purposes
- The effect of the development on the setting of Clive House (Grade II Listed), the setting of the Lodge to Moore Place (Grade II listed), and the setting of Esher Conservation Area
- The effect of the development on the living conditions of occupiers of neighbouring properties having particular regard to matters of outlook and privacy
- 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 substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt, combined with heritage and living conditions harm, was not clearly outweighed by the other considerations, so very special circumstances were not demonstrated.
The substantial Green Belt harm, moderate heritage harm and significant harm to neighbours' living conditions were not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight public benefits, so the balance tipped against the development and very special circumstances were not established.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DM17Policy DM12Policy DM2 e)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 154Paragraph 143Paragraph 215Paragraph 156
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.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.