®Planning appeal decision
Gadbrook Cottage, Little Abbots Farm, Snowerhill Road, Betchworth, Surrey, RH3 7AQ
Planning appeal 6002245 at Gadbrook Cottage, Little Abbots Farm, Snowerhill Road, Betchworth, Surrey, RH3 7AQ (Mole Valley District Council) was dismissed on 9 March 2026 by Inspector De Freitas Terceiro P, 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 relevant development plan policies, including its effect on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt.
the demolition of outbuilding. Erection of detached dwelling with associated parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Mole Valley District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- De Freitas Terceiro P
- Postcode
- RH3 7AQ
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 relevant development plan policies, including its effect on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- whether 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 proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt causing substantial harm to its openness, and the other considerations do not amount to very special circumstances to clearly outweigh this harm.
The substantial weight given to harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and harm to openness was not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight of other considerations (housing delivery, economic benefits, self-build provision), so very special circumstances do not exist.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EN1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 143Paragraph 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.