Citation: Appeal A Ref: APP/P1940/1/22/3311477 and Appeal B Ref: APP/P1940/W/22/3311479
Following a 13-day inquiry, The Planning Inspectorate’s Inspector Matthew Nunn has allowed two appeals by Burlington Property Group against the refusal by Three Rivers District Council of planning permission for two linked developments providing for a total of 92 homes (48% of which will be affordable and at least 10% custom/self-build), as well as a new doctor’s surgery, on two greenfield sites on the edge of the village Sarratt.
The Inspector’s decision found that very special circumstances existed to clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm, so as to justify what was deemed by policy to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
The decision will be of wide interest, not just for the finding of VSC, but also for the Inspector’s conclusions in relation to locational sustainability in the context of a serious unmet housing need, as well as the weight to be given in the context of the VSC analysis to the delivery of much-needed market, affordable and custom/self-build housing and the provision of a new GP surgery.
Charlie Banner KC acted as counsel for the successful appellant, Burlington Property Group.
