Appeal allowed for Pool House in the Green Belt following refusal by Mole Valley
March
2024
Leatherhead, Surrey
Working closely with the architect, D&M Planning Ltd have succesfully assisted in having an appeal allowed for the erection of an ancillary pool house in the Green Belt. The planning committee at Mole Valley had previously refused permission for the pool house, considering the new building to amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The planners at Mole Valley had stated to committee members that the exception within the NPPF to allow for provisions/facilities for outdoor sport and recreation was only appropriate for public benefit.
At appeal we succesfully argued that this was not the case and the NPPF does not specify whether such facilities could be for private or public use. The Inspector agreed and made such statements clear within the decision notice. Furthermore, they agreed that owing to the nature of the site the development would not have an adverse impact on the openess of the Green Belt. The Inspector therefore allowed the appeal and granted planning permission.
D&M Planning Ltd were able to add significant contributions to the appeal highlighting the inconsistencies in the decision making and providing relevant examples across our experience to support the scheme. It was welcome to see the Inspector directly agree with the arguments we presented.
Planner: Matt Smith
Architect: Arc8 Project (www.arc8projects.com)
