®Planning appeal decision
Fourwinds Farm, Leighton Road, Stanbridge, Bedfordshire, LU7 9HW
Planning appeal 3375132 at Fourwinds Farm, Leighton Road, Stanbridge, Bedfordshire, LU7 9HW (Central Bedfordshire) was dismissed on 21 April 2026 by Inspector Lo S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies.
the erection of a place of worship (Use Class F.1) for Orthodox Christians and associated parking, landscaping and biodiversity enhancement of the site
- Authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- community-institutional · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Lo S
- Postcode
- LU7 9HW
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies
- the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- whether or not the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development, having regard to the availability of sustainable modes of transport
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- whether or not the proposed development would deliver the mandatory biodiversity net gain
- whether or not 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 appeal site is not in a sustainable location due to its rural character, distance from population centres, and the inevitable reliance of future users on private motor vehicles, which fails to meet the requirements of paragraph 155(c) of the Framework and cannot be overcome by the identified benefits.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP4Policy SP7Policy HQ1Policy HQ3Policy EE2Policy EE5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 88Paragraph 96Paragraph 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.