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Dismissed18 May 20266002913

Land at Tongham Services, A31 / A331, Tongham, GU10 1FP

Planning appeal 6002913 at Land at Tongham Services, A31 / A331, Tongham, GU10 1FP (Guildford Borough Council) was dismissed on 18 May 2026 by Inspector Rawle S, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether or not the proposal would represent an appropriate location within the countryside with particular regard to the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area and whether or not it would lead to a greater physical or visual coalescence between the Ash and Tongham urban area and Aldershot.

the erection of a freestanding McDonald's Restaurant with drive thru facility, car parking, landscaping and associated works, including Customer Order Displays (COD) and a play frame

Authority
Guildford Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
leisure-sport · Major retail and services
Inspector
Rawle S
Postcode
GU10 1FP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether or not the proposal would represent an appropriate location within the countryside with particular regard to the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area and whether or not it would lead to a greater physical or visual coalescence between the Ash and Tongham urban area and Aldershot
  • Whether or not sufficient information has been provided to assess the impact of the proposed development on protected species and habitats and whether or not the proposal would unacceptably harm the Tongham Pond and Tice's Meadow Site of Nature Conservation Importance or be at odds with the objectives of the Blackwater River Biodiversity Opportunity Area

What decided it

The proposal's unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the countryside and the resulting greater physical coalescence between the Ash and Tongham urban area and Aldershot, to which substantial weight was given.

The moderate weight afforded to the totality of the scheme's benefits was outweighed by the substantial weight given to the harm to character, appearance and coalescence, so the proposal conflicted with the development plan as a whole and the appeal was dismissed.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy P3 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan: strategy and sites 2015-2034Policy ID4 of the GBLPSSPolicy 10 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan Development Management PoliciesPolicy P6 of the GBLPDMPPolicy P7 of the GBLPDMP

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Guildford Borough Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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  3. decided16 October 20266010712
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  4. Allowed15 October 20266009940
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  5. Allowed15 October 20266008529
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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.

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