Land Adjacent to Warren Farm, Green Road, Thorpe, Surrey, TW20 8QT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the risk of flooding
• the effect of the development on protected habitat
• whether the development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and if so, whether it is justified by very special circumstances
• the effect on the character and appearance of the area
• the need for, and provision of, Gypsy and Traveller sites
• the personal circumstances of the Appellants

What decided it

The location of the Appeal Site within Flood Zone 3b (functional floodplain) with no evidence that the development could be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere, combined with the failure to provide any Habitats Regulations mitigation measures for the Thames Basin Heaths SPA, provided a strong reason for refusal that outweighed the material considerations in favour of the development.

The unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches, the absence of a five-year supply of sites, the lack of suitable alternative accommodation for the Appellants, and their personal circumstances (including children's education and medical needs) weighed substantially in favour, but were outweighed by the combined weight of harm to the Green Belt (inappropriateness and loss of openness), the substantial risk of serious flooding with no safe escape route, the potential damage to protected habitat, and adverse impact on character and appearance.