Beacon Hotel, Tea Garden Lane, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9JH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
• The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
• The effect of the proposal on the 'Beacon Hotel Cold Bath and Tea Gardens' historic park and garden
• The effect of the proposal on the significance of the Rusthall Common Conservation Area
• The effect of the proposal on landscape character and appearance
• The effect of the proposal on heritage assets with archaeological interest
• The effect of the proposal on ecology
• Whether or not the proposal would make adequate provision for Biodiversity Net Gain
• The effect of the proposal on the living conditions of occupiers of nearby dwellings
• If the development would be inappropriate, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and harm to openness, combined with insufficient evidence to demonstrate that heritage assets of archaeological interest and ecology and protected species would not be unacceptably harmed, was not clearly outweighed by the economic and social benefits of the proposal, such that very special circumstances did not exist to justify the development.