Land to the Rear of 3 to 7 Fishers Wood Grove, Bromley, BR2 8FD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the site is suitable for residential development having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with particular reference to whether the appeal site is grey belt land in respect of its location within the Bromley, Hayes & Keston Commons Conservation Area and purposes (a), (b) and (d) in paragraph 143 of the NPPF
• If the appeal site is grey belt land, whether the proposal is inappropriate development for the purposes of the Framework and the development plan
• If the proposal is inappropriate development of grey belt land, the effect on the openness of the Green Belt
• The effect on the landscape character of the area
• Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances required to justify the appeal scheme

What decided it

The proposal would not be in a sustainable location with particular reference to Framework paragraphs 110 and 115, as future residents would be heavily dependent on private vehicles due to the narrow, unlit access via Fishers Wood Grove lacking footways, making it inappropriate development of grey belt land that cannot be justified by very special circumstances.

The significant weight afforded to housing delivery arising from the Council's 2.4-year housing land supply shortfall was outweighed by the substantial weight to be attached to harm to the Green Belt (inappropriate development and loss of openness) and the conflict with Framework policies directing development to sustainable locations, resulting in dismissal.