Planning appeal decision
Recreation Ground, Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, KT21 2BZ
Planning appeal 3362325 at Recreation Ground, Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, KT21 2BZ (Mole Valley District Council) was allowed on 8 July 2026 by Inspector Curnow R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the Council's decision to refuse to issue a certificate of lawfulness was well-founded.
Commencement of planning permission reference MO/2020/2167, by virtue of the following acts of development: Demolition of existing fence; Demolition of existing MUGA surface; Excavation of drainage channel; Implementation of drainage system in compliance with details approved via application MO/2024/0295
- Authority
- Mole Valley District Council
- Appeal type
- ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- leisure-sport · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Curnow R
- Postcode
- KT21 2BZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the Council's decision to refuse to issue a certificate of lawfulness was well-founded
What decided it
The excavation of the drainage channel and installation of the drainage pipe, though with minor positional deviations from the approved drawing, constituted a material operation that commenced the permitted development in a timely manner and achieved the functional requirements of the approved drainage scheme.
What the Inspector cited
- Judgments
- Malvern Hills DC v Secretary of State for the Environment [1982] JPL 439
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 appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Mole Valley District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed18 September 20266011498Woodstock House, Mole Street, Ockley, RH5 5PB
- Allowed21 May 20263373058Land East of Cobham Road and South of the River Mole, Cobham Road, Bookham, Surrey, KT11 3QH
- Allowed6 March 20263375794Unit 3 Crouch Industrial Estate, Barnett Wood Lane, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7DG
- Allowed9 February 20263367463Land to the Rear of Cricketers Close , Cricketers Close, Ockley , Surrey , RH5 5BA
- Allowed16 December 20253372913Fourays, Horsham Road, Capel, Dorking, RH5 5LF
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.
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