The Bell Inn Watling Street Stretton STAFFORD ST19 9LN, Stafford , West Midlands , ST19 9LN

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether condition 1 is reasonable or necessary in respect of the effect of the fence and gates on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
• Whether condition 1 is reasonable or necessary in the interests of the character and appearance of the area
• Whether any harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify removing or varying condition 1
• The effect that varying the opening hours of the refreshment booth would have on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers, with particular regard to noise and disturbance
• Whether condition 5 is reasonable or necessary in the interests of retaining the public house, with particular regard to the requirements of the development plan

What decided it

Condition 1 was upheld because the existing inappropriate Green Belt development (the metal fence and gates) causes demonstrable harm to openness and rural character that is not outweighed by other considerations, whereas condition 5 was varied because its ambiguous wording did not clearly restrict the refreshment booth to ancillary use and the proposed hours would reduce rather than increase potential harm to neighbours.