Springfield Farm, Parkgate Road, Dorking, RH5 5DZ

to change of use of a manege training area from private use to commercial use with on site car parking

Authority: Mole Valley District Council
Appeal type: Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: leisure-sport
Postcode: RH5 5DZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on highway safety
whether the development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The proposal would conflict with highway safety requirements due to constrained visibility at the access, inadequate parking provision without proper assessment, and the absence of a traffic assessment to demonstrate that adverse highway impacts could be mitigated.

Framework references: 154, 155

Plan policies cited: Policy INF1, Policy INF2, Policy EN1, Policy EC7, Policy EN4

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.

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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.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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