Chesterfield Road, Dronfield, S18 1YP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the underground storage tank would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; its effect on the openness of the Green Belt and purposes of including land within it; and if inappropriate, 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
• Whether the proposed development provides sufficient compensatory improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of the remaining Green Belt
• The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
• Whether the proposed development would provide acceptable living conditions for existing occupants of properties along Burns Drive and future occupants of the new housing, with regard to privacy and overlooking
• Whether the proposal would make adequate provision for affordable housing

What decided it

The poor design response causing harm to character and appearance and to living conditions through overlooking, combined with inadequate affordable housing provision, outweighed the benefits and led to conflict with the development plan as a whole.

The benefits of the proposal (housing delivery, housing mix, affordable housing, economic and environmental benefits) carried significant weight, but were outweighed by harm to character and appearance, harm to living conditions from overlooking, and inadequate affordable housing provision, such that the proposal conflicted with the development plan as a whole and the appeal was dismissed.