®Planning appeal decision
Land South of The Paddock , West Herrington, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 4NR
Planning appeal 3368870 at Land South of The Paddock , West Herrington, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 4NR (Sunderland City Council) was dismissed on 18 December 2025 by Inspector Scott A, 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 National Planning Policy Framework and any other relevant development plan policies.
Erection of 2no. dwellings with associated access
- Authority
- Sunderland City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Scott A
- Postcode
- DH4 4NR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any other relevant development plan policies
- The effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness 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 proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt causing significant harm to its openness, and the cumulative weight of the benefits (moderate) does not clearly outweigh this harm, so very special circumstances do not exist.
The substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness was not clearly outweighed by the moderate cumulative weight of benefits (family homes, economic gains during construction, ecological enhancements, design quality, and local support), so the appeal was dismissed.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy NE6Policy SP8
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
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.