New housing approved in Surrey Green Belt
A new rural community of 29 homes has been approved following a planning appeal at a Green Belt site in a Conservation Area in Surrey. The new homes will replace redundant agricultural sheds on the edge of a village overlooking open fields.
The Appeal Inspector decided that ‘the scheme should be considered an outstanding design that fits within the overall form and layout of its surroundings, and would raise the standard of design more generally in the area, [and] I therefore attach the architectural quality of the scheme significant weight in favour of approval.’
The design increased the openness of the Green Belt through the reduction in footprint and volume of the buildings on the site. Other features of the design that were given significant weight in the planning balance were; the housing mix which included both affordable and active elderly housing on site, the 80% increase in biodiversity and the very generous open space to be provided as part of the scheme.
