Bell Cornwell LLP Planning Consultants

Bell Cornwell are delighted to have received our first appeal decision from the Planning Inspectorate under the new NPPF allowing a scheme for a single dwellinghouse on the basis that the site constitutes Grey Belt and meets the requirements of paragraph 155 - Congratulations Ryan Snow on a solid decision.   The Site lies on the southern edge of the hamlet of Hydestile in south west Surrey, in a rural setting. At application stage we presented a case to Waverley Borough Council setting out that, even if the scheme was found to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, then the very clear benefits put forward would amount to Very Special Circumstances which would outweigh the harm to the Green Belt, and any other harm. In refusing the application, the Council failed to properly consider the benefits of the scheme as part of their assessment. We were, therefore, instructed to appeal against the decision.   During the course of the appeal the revised NPPF was published, in December 2024, and as a result we could apply the new definition of Grey Belt and the new provisions for what can be appropriate development set out in paragraph 155.    As a result of the representations we made during the course of the appeal, the Inspector gave weight to the new Grey Belt considerations. The site was accepted to not be previously developed land and so the Inspector considered whether it could constitute 'any other land' that does not strongly contribute to the specified purposes of the Green Belt within paragraph 143.   Turning to the remaining criteria of paragraph 155, the Inspector agreed with our assessment of Waverley's Housing Land Supply and found the Housing Land Supply of only 1.28 years to amount to a demonstrable unmet need in housing, which the Council did not contest.    Finally, in dealing with the matter of sustainable location, the Inspector found there would be access to a bus stop just up the road, with a mainline station in proximity.   The Inspector concluded that the development would utilise Grey Belt land and would satisfy the criteria of paragraph 155, making it appropriate development. In line with footnote 55, the development would not be regarded as harmful to openness of Green Belt or the purposes of including land within it.    Our client Guildoak is very pleased with this outcome. This sensible application of the Government's new Grey Belt provisions demonstrates a shift towards encouraging the development of poorly performing Green Belt (Grey Belt) sites to allow for much needed housing to be delivered.    If you have any similar Green Belt sites that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us. #greenbelt #greybelt #nppf #housingdelivery

Bell Cornwell LLP Planning Consultants would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas 🎅 and a wonderful New Year 🥂! We finished off the year with a fun day in beautiful Bath, celebrating the end of the year together 🕺. Please note, our offices are closed from 5.00pm on Monday 23rd December 2024 and reopen at 9.00am on Thursday 2nd January 2025. If you need urgent assistance during that period, please email hello@bell-cornwell.co.uk. We look forward to working with you in 2025!

APPROVAL FOR USE OF HOLIDAY LET AS AN UNRESTRICTED RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Ellie MacNeil (Mitchell) MRTPI has obtained approval for a holiday let, located near Bude in north Cornwall, to be used as an unrestricted residential dwelling. Whilst both holiday lets and ordinary homes fall under use class C3 ‘dwellinghouses’, a condition attached to the former planning permission prevented the property being used for residential use other than as holiday accommodation. As we all know, housing is at the forefront of the Government’s agenda and Cornwall Council has a Housing Strategy in place affirming that there is a crisis in the provision of homes across the county. In response to these issues, there is a strong need to increase the supply of housing. This impetus has only increased as a result of the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, which identifies a significant increase in the number of homes needing to be delivered in Cornwall. In considering our scheme, concerns were raised by Cornwall Council regarding the effect which loss of the holiday let would have on the local economy and also in respect of the lack of private amenity space which would be required as result of any change to a standard dwelling. Following discussions, we managed to successfully argue the benefits of the scheme and to allay the Council’s concerns. Central to our arguments was that the proposal would contribute to the local housing stock and would, therefore, help alleviate the strong need for new homes in the area. In addition, the proposal would not remove the ability for the property to be used as a holiday let, rather it would provide for a more flexible use. With the backing of the Cornwall Council Member for the area and with support also from the Parish Council, we managed to secure approval without having to present the scheme to Cornwall Council’s planning committee. This saved both time and cost for our client, as well as ensuring that the property became available for use as a home without further delay. If you have a holiday let or ‘normal’ residential property and would like to explore how to vary any restrictions on its use, you are likely to need to expert input. The context of the site will need to be thoroughly assessed in order to provide robust advice, as each property and context will be different. We can provide the support needed and we would be delighted to speak to you. #holidaylets #cornwallcouncil #planningconditions

Let's talk about the new NPPF... It has finally been published as an early Christmas present. There hasn't been a huge shift from the draft we saw in the summer. To help you digest it, we have compiled a summary of the key headlines. If any of these spark an idea or a question, don't hesitate to give us a call. https://lnkd.in/ezCGxvDD #NPPF #development #housingdelivery #greybelt

Partner Iestyn John was delighted to be invited to participate in KOR Communications podcast discussing the changes to the NPPF. See below for a link to the full episode to hear what was covered. #Planning #NPPF #EstateMatters

Sarah Smith and Andrew Boothby enjoyed attending the recent Hertfordshire Infrastructure & Development Board meeting, hearing from Baroness Sharon Taylor, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government and Baroness of Stevenage, along with a number of other speakers about regional growth and the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in driving sustainable development. As new members. we look forward to making a contribution to the group going forward. #hidb #hertfordshireplanning #hertfordshiredevelopment

We're delighted to announce the arrival of our latest recruit Isabelle Leekam! Isabelle joins us as a Planner in our Hertfordshire office, a new role in our growing team based in the lovely town of Harpenden. She already has a range of experience under her belt from previous consultancy roles, with a diverse portfolio including, rural developments, renewable energy schemes, commercial and residential projects. Her expertise includes conducting detailed site appraisals, the preparation and management of planning and listed building consent applications through to determination, and challenging decisions through the appeal process. Born and bred in Hertfordshire, her local knowledge is already proving to be an asset to the team. We look forward to seeing what the future holds 🙂. #hertfordshire #harpenden #planningadvice #planningconsultancy #planningcareers

Well done Ryan for hosting another successful Planning at the Pub event. It's definitely therapeutic to chat through the challenges we all face and to know that we're not alone! These events are also a great opportunity to get up to speed on the latest planning changes coming down the track... We look forward to another one in 2025. #planningatthepub

We're Recruiting! A Marketing and Business Development Manager position is currently available in the Hampshire office of our small but growing business, with six offices across the south of the country. The ideal candidate for this position will have strong experience of developing and implementing a Marketing and Business Development Strategy, working alongside a design agency and fee earning staff. The successful candidate will have a high level of knowledge and experience across all aspects of marketing and business development, as required for a dedicated role within an SME. They will also ideally have experience of working in a professional services company within the property/construction industry. They will be responsible for producing marketing material using Mailchimp and Canva, copywriting, managing social media accounts, maintaining our Wordpress website, SEO and analysis, CPC campaigns and display ads as well managing and maintaining our internal contacts database using Mailchimp and Sage CRM. The candidate needs the skills to raise our profile, evaluate outcomes and make recommendations. They will organise client events and seminars, manage budgets and use strong interpersonal skills to engage the whole team in their initiatives, with a commitment to finding new and better ways to reach existing and new clients. If this role sounds like the new move for you, please get in touch with your CV - hello@bell-cornwell.co.uk.

St Albans City and District Council On Thursday 28th November, St Albans City and District Council considered the responses to the Local Plan Regulation 19 Publication. The overall message was that there were no ‘show stoppers’ or ‘red flags' identified that fundamentally altered or stopped the progress towards submission of the draft Local Plan under Regulation 22. Therefore, the Council submitted the Local Plan on the 29th November to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination. As previously highlighted (https://lnkd.in/e4fFfWtS), this expedited timetable is seeking to progress the Local Plan under the current NPPF, which means a lower housing land requirement. We will now wait to hear when the dates of the Examination sessions are set. If the Local Plan is found sound and can be adopted, this is currently scheduled for April 2026. However, there are still many potential hurdles to this new timetable being achieved. #stalbanscity #localplan #strategicplanning