®Planning appeal decision
Land West of Lydiate Lane, Eccleston, PR7 6LX
Planning appeal 6004439 at Land West of Lydiate Lane, Eccleston, PR7 6LX (Chorley Borough Council) was dismissed on 18 June 2026 by Inspector M Clowes, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having reference to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with regard to: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; the effect on the openness of the Green Belt; the effect on character and appearance with particular regard to density; and if inappropriate, whether the harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
the erection of up to 5 dwellings
- Authority
- Chorley Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- M Clowes
- Postcode
- PR7 6LX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having reference to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with regard to: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt; the effect on the openness of the Green Belt; the effect on character and appearance with particular regard to density; and if inappropriate, whether the harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances
What decided it
The proposal fails to satisfy the requirement in paragraph 155(c) of the Framework that development in the Green Belt be in a sustainable location, as the site would result in car dependency and lacks genuine choice of transport modes.
The modest benefits of housing delivery and economic activity were outweighed by the substantial harm to the Green Belt through inappropriate development and loss of openness, combined with harm to character and appearance through inefficient density, such that very special circumstances do not exist
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1 of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy 2012Policy 5 of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy 2012Policy BNE1 of the Chorley Local Plan 2015Policy BNE5 of the Chorley Local Plan 2015Policy HS6 of the Central Lancashire Local Plan 2023-2041
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 49Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 130Paragraph 142Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
- Judgments
- New Dawn Homes Ltd v SSCLG [2016] EWHC 3314 (Admin)
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
More decisions in Chorley Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
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- Dismissed6 October 20266012610Land Adjacent To St Johns C Of E And Methodist Primary School, School Lane, Brinscall, PR26 6TD
- Dismissed2 July 20266007888Chisnall House Farm, Croston Lane, Chorley, PR7 5HJ
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.