thornhill cottage, ifield road, horley, rh60dl

the erection of 1 No. detached dwelling following the demolition of the existing buildings

Authority: Mole Valley District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Postcode: RH6 0DL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to any relevant development plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework
The effect of the proposed development on the openness of the Green Belt
Whether the proposed development would preserve the setting of the Grade II listed building known as Fullbrook Cottage
If the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, whether the 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 necessary to justify it

What decided it

The totality of harm to the Green Belt and the significance of the listed building was not clearly outweighed by other considerations, and no very special circumstances existed to justify the inappropriate development.

The modest cumulative weight of housing delivery, economic benefits and self-build provision was insufficient to outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt and the less than substantial harm to the listed building's significance, which carried great weight against the proposal.

Framework references: 11, 57, 110, 115, 154, 155, 212, 215

Plan policies cited: Policy EN1, Policy EN6

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.

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

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