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Planning permission granted21 May 20253358669

Ash Tree Paddock Stanbridge Road, Great Billington, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 9JH

Planning appeal 3358669 at Ash Tree Paddock Stanbridge Road, Great Billington, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 9JH (Central Bedfordshire) was allowed on 21 May 2025 by Inspector Madge M, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal site comprises grey belt land and whether the development is inappropriate in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework ('the Framework') and relevant development plan policies.

Without planning permission, the material change of use to a residential caravan site for Gypsy and Travellers through the stationing of caravans on the Land, along with associated development to facilitate that use

Authority
Central Bedfordshire
Appeal type
enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure
Hearing
Development
caravan-gypsy · Change of use
Inspector
Madge M
Postcode
LU7 9JH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the appeal site comprises grey belt land and whether the development is inappropriate in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework ('the Framework') and relevant development plan policies
  • The effect of the development on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
  • The effect of the development on the Chiltern Beechwood Special Area of Conservation including Ashbridge Common Site of Special Scientific Interest ('SSSI')
  • 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 development if it is found to be inappropriate in the Green Belt

What decided it

The significant unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches, combined with the site's grey belt status and its limited, mitigable harm to character and appearance, outweighed the identified adverse impacts.

the limited conflict with the development plan as a whole, arising from limited harm to character and appearance and nominal weight attributed to the intentional unauthorised development, was outweighed by the significant unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
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National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 156Paragraph 157Paragraph 11

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 applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.