Landmark Grey Belt Appeal Decision for New Housing in Bromsgrove District
The Challenge
ET Planning was instructed to act on behalf of Your Land Partner Ltd following Bromsgrove District Council's refusal of a planning application for 50 new homes and a flexible-use community hub in Houndsfield Lane. The land in question sat within the Green Belt, traditionally a major constraint to development. However, under the Government's new Grey Belt policy, certain Green Belt sites that no longer served their original purposes could be considered for sustainable development. This presented a complex challenge: The site lay within the designated Green Belt. Bromsgrove District Council had refused the application on policy grounds, and had not lost appeals on any major sites in the Green Belt. The planning context was shifting, but untested, under the new Grey Belt classification. There were acknowledged concerns around landscape impact. The Council could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and there were uncertainties about unmet needs from adjoining authorities such as Birmingham and the Black Country. ET Planning had to prepare a robust appeal case that addressed both national policy changes and local political sensitivities.
Our Approach
Our Approach ET Planning led the appeal, producing evidence to address a number of components: Grey Belt Statement: We demonstrated that the site made only a limited contribution to Green Belt purposes a, b and d - and that it would not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining Green Belt across the area of the plan . As such, the development met the definition of grey belt and was not considered inappropriate. Sustainability Statement: We showed the site’s clear advantages in terms of access to local schools, shops, and public transport, enhanced by off site highways improvements. These locational benefits supported the sites categorisation as 'grey belt'. Housing Delivery: We highlighted the Council’s failure to meet its five-year housing land supply. The proposed 50 homes, including around 50% affordable housing, would make a meaningful and immediate contribution. The proposed development therefore met the 'Golden Rules' of paragraph 156 of the NPPF. The Planning Inspector agreed. Permission was granted on appeal - making this the first successful major Grey Belt appeal in Bromsgrove. Please contact David Wetherill (Associate Director) David.Wetherill@etplanning.co.uk or Tom Ryan (Principal Planner) Tom.Ryan@etplanning.co.uk for more advice on sites in the Grey Belt.
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