Land At Back Lane, Woolley, Wakefield, WF4 2JT

Extension of existing stable block to form 2no stables and construction of equestrian storage building

Authority: Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: agricultural
Postcode: WF4 2JT

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 any relevant development plan policies, including the effect upon the openness of the Green Belt
whether the 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 would fail to preserve the openness of the Green Belt and therefore does not qualify as appropriate development under NPPF paragraph 154(b), constituting inappropriate development for which very special circumstances do not exist.

Substantial weight given to Green Belt harm; the harm to openness was not clearly outweighed by other considerations, therefore very special circumstances do not exist to justify the proposal.

Framework references: 154

Plan policies cited: Policy SP3 of the Wakefield District Local Plan (2024)

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

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