®Planning appeal decision
Land north of 2 Littleheath Farm Cottage, Steels Lane, Oxshott, Surrey, KT22 0RX
conversion of existing detached outbuilding to create a self-contained 2 bedroom residential dwelling house with associated external alterations and parking
- Authority
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Wallace J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal is subject to the mandatory requirements for biodiversity net gain, and if so, does it comply with them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers
What decided it
The proposal fails to demonstrate compliance with the mandatory requirements for biodiversity net gain under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which constitutes an adverse impact that significantly and demonstrably outweighs the benefits of housing delivery.
The benefits of housing delivery and affordable housing contribution were outweighed by the failure to comply with mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.
Framework references: 11, 187
Plan policies cited: DM2, DM10, CS10, CS17
Judgments cited: Camden London Borough Council v ADC Estates Limited (1991) 61P&CR 48; R. (on the application of Morris Homes (North) Ltd) v Bolton Council [2025] EWHC 657 (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.