Land Adjoining Pennings, Plough Lane, Ewhurst, Surrey, GU6 7SG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site constitutes a suitable location for the proposal, having particular regard to national and local planning policies, which seek to restrict residential development in the countryside
• The effect of the proposal on the landscape character of the countryside, with particular regard to the Area of Great Landscape Value
• The effect of the proposal on protected species

What decided it

The unacceptable harm to the landscape character of the Area of Great Landscape Value through erosion of a visual gap and urbanisation of a rural plot, combined with the unsustainable location lacking safe access to services by non-car means, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefits of housing supply and economic support.

The adverse impacts of granting planning permission (unsustainable location and unacceptable landscape harm to the AGLV) significantly and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefits (housing supply contribution, renewable technology, local economic support, and biodiversity net gain), when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.