®Planning appeal decision
Woodstock House, Mole Street, Ockley, RH5 5PB
Planning appeal 6006697 at Woodstock House, Mole Street, Ockley, RH5 5PB (Mole Valley District Council) was dismissed on 15 September 2026 by Inspector J Bowyer, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.
Retrospective planning permission for erection of a barn (17 metres x 9 metres with associated hardstanding and access track)
- Authority
- Mole Valley District Council
- Appeal type
- Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- agricultural
- Inspector
- J Bowyer
- Postcode
- RH5 5PB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on the setting and significance of nearby listed buildings
- whether or not the proposal would make adequate provision for vehicle parking and manoeuvring
What decided it
The absence of firm evidence demonstrating that the barn was reasonably necessary for agricultural purposes meant the development was not an appropriate form of development in the Countryside Beyond the Green Belt, and the resulting harm to character, appearance and listed building significance was not outweighed by the limited public benefits.
The limited public benefits of the proposal, including uncertain agricultural support and modest environmental gains, were substantially outweighed by the cumulative adverse effects on countryside character and the significance of nearby listed buildings, with the PA Scheme providing limited weight as a fallback.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EN2Policy EC6Policy EN4Policy EN8Policy EN6Policy INF1Policy INF2
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 Mole Valley District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed9 July 202660067239 Lonsdale Road, Dorking, RH4 1JP
- Dismissed18 June 20266003126Phoenix House (Now Known As Oak View), Overdale, Ashtead, KT21 1PW
- Dismissed8 June 20266006791Springfield Farm, Parkgate Road, Dorking, RH5 5DZ
- Allowed29 May 20266005270Firsacre, Leatherhead Road, Great Bookham, KT23 4RB
- Allowed6 March 20263375794Unit 3 Crouch Industrial Estate, Barnett Wood Lane, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7DG
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.