®Planning appeal decision
Land at Ash Lea Farm, Dawber's Lane, Chorley, PR7 6EN
Planning appeal 6004878 at Land at Ash Lea Farm, Dawber's Lane, Chorley, PR7 6EN (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 openness of the Green Belt; whether the proposal amounts to an efficient use of land; and if inappropriate, whether the harm would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to very special circumstances.
the construction of up to nine dwellings
- Authority
- Chorley Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Inspector
- M Clowes
- Postcode
- PR7 6EN
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 openness of the Green Belt; whether the proposal amounts to an efficient use of land; 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 constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt that fails to meet the sustainability criterion in paragraph 155 of the Framework, and the modest housing benefits do not clearly outweigh the substantial Green Belt harm required to establish very special circumstances.
The modest benefits of housing delivery and economic activity were outweighed by the substantial harm to the Green Belt from inappropriate development in an unsustainable location combined with inefficient use of land
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1 of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy 2012Policy 5 of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy 2012Policy BNE5 of the Chorley Local Plan 2015
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 49Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 130Paragraph 142Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
- Judgments
- New Dawn Homes Ltd v SSCLG [2016] EWHC 3314 (Admin); Woodcock Holdings Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2015] EWHC 1173 (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
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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
- Dismissed27 October 20266010419Sibbering's Farmhouse, Dawson Lane, Chorley, PR6 7DT
- Dismissed22 October 20266007934Fleetwood Farm, North Road, Bretherton, PR26 9AY
- Dismissed6 October 2026601319347 Washington Lane, Euxton, Chorley, PR7 6DQ
- 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.