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Dismissed13 August 20266007749

Durlston, Grove Road, Lea by Backford, Chester, CH1 6LG

Planning appeal 6007749 at Durlston, Grove Road, Lea by Backford, Chester, CH1 6LG (Cheshire West and Chester Council) was dismissed on 13 August 2026 by Inspector C Evans, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies.

erection of a detached two-storey dwelling as a custom self-build infill development, with associated access

Authority
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning
Procedure
Written
Development
residential
Inspector
C Evans
Postcode
CH1 6LG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies
  • the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
  • the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
  • whether the proposal would be an appropriate location for housing having regard to development plan policies regarding accessibility of development
  • whether the proposal would be an appropriate location for the proposed development having regard to risk from flooding
  • whether any 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 is inappropriate development in the Green Belt that fails to meet the sustainability requirements of paragraph 155(c) of the Framework, and the identified harms to the Green Belt, character and appearance, and flood risk are not clearly outweighed by the benefits of contributing to housing supply, such that no very special circumstances exist to justify approval.

The substantial weight given to harm to the Green Belt, combined with limited harm to openness, harm to character and appearance, and unresolved flood risk, was not clearly outweighed by the moderate weight given to contribution to housing land supply and limited weight given to the self-build element, resulting in dismissal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Local Plan Part 1 Policy STRAT 1Local Plan Part 1 Policy STRAT 2Local Plan Part 1 Policy STRAT 9Local Plan Part 1 Policy ENV 1Local Plan Part 1 Policy ENV 6Local Plan Part 2 Policy DM 3Local Plan Part 2 Policy DM 19Local Plan Part 2 Policy DM 40Local Plan Part 2 Policy R 1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 175
Judgments
Julian Wood v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Gravesham Borough Council [2015] EWCA Civ 195; Gladman Developments Limited v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Lancaster City Council [2026] EWHC 51 (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 applied

The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.