®Planning appeal decision
Former Whitburn Lodge Public House, Mill Lane, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7BF
Planning appeal 3365110 at Former Whitburn Lodge Public House, Mill Lane, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7BF (South Tyneside Council) was allowed on 13 August 2025 by Inspector McDonald K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and relevant development plan policies.
Demolition of existing Whitburn Lodge Public House, vacant structures and associated car park and erection of up to 32 dwellings including vehicular access from Mill Lane, associated infrastructure and landscaping
- Authority
- South Tyneside Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- McDonald K
- Postcode
- SR6 7BF
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and relevant development plan policies
- The effect of the proposal on water quality
- 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
What decided it
The quick delivery of much-needed housing on a brownfield derelict site identified for housing in the emerging local plan, combined with drainage betterments and economic benefits, clearly outweighed the harm to Green Belt openness and inappropriateness, establishing very special circumstances.
The benefits of quickly delivering much-needed housing on a brownfield derelict site identified for housing in the emerging local plan, drainage betterments and economic benefits collectively clearly outweighed the totality of Green Belt harm (inappropriateness and impact on openness) so as to amount to very special circumstances justifying the proposal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EA1Policy EA3Policy EA5Policy DM7Policy WNP1Policy WNP5Policy WNP12Policy 1Policy 3Policy 11Policy 21Policy 34
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 157Paragraph 187
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.