Henhurst Lodge, Beare Green

Decision

dismissed, 16 September 2026

Decided by

Planning Inspector: R Lawrence

Authority

Mole Valley (South East)

Appeal reference

6008528

Application reference

MO/2025/02135

Procedure

written representations

Development

Retention of the pre-existing dwelling following erection of the replacement dwelling permitted in 2017 (MO/2016/2052), with new driveway

Homes

1

Site context

green belt, open countryside, rural lane, ancient woodland

Green Belt

Yes (grey belt accepted)

Framework applied

August 2026 NPPF

Determinative policies

GB6(2), GB7(1)(g)(iii), TR3, N6

Development plan policies

Mole Valley Local Plan 2024 EN1, EN4, EN9

Main issues

inappropriate development; grey belt; sustainable location; openness; character; ancient woodland; VSC

Summary

The appellant sought to keep an original house, which was due to be demolished under a 2017 replacement-dwelling permission, as an extra dwelling in the Mole Valley Green Belt. Dismissed. Grey belt and unmet need were accepted: the Council has a five-year supply, but its HDT is below 75%. Limb (iii) sustainable location failed on an unlit lane with no footways, remote from the village and station, with a Connectivity Tool score of 25/100. A new driveway through ancient woodland separately failed N6.

Issues and findings

• Transition. The parties commented on the 17 Aug 2026 Framework (DL ¶2).
• Replacement exception lost. "its demolition was a key justification for the erection of a replacement dwelling. That replacement dwelling would constitute new development, and the exception in policy GB7 relating to the replacement of existing buildings, would no longer apply" (DL ¶7).
• S5 does not displace GB7. "policy S5 is a general policy relating to development outside settlements and does not displace the specific Green Belt provisions of policy GB7" (DL ¶8).
• GB7(1)(g)(i): PASS. It "could constitute grey belt land … the site does not make a strong contribution to the purposes" (DL ¶9).
• GB7(1)(g)(ii): PASS via HDT. "Whilst it can now demonstrate a five-year supply … the most recent Housing Delivery Test result remains below 75%. Consequently, having regard to policy GB7(g)(ii) and footnote 41 … there is an evidenced unmet need for housing" (DL ¶10).
• GB7(1)(g)(iii) / TR3: FAIL. "Beare Green Road does not benefit from pavements or street lighting and, as such, does little to encourage journeys on foot" (DL ¶11). "the Connectivity Tool, which assigns the site a score of 25/100 … should be considered alongside local evidence and professional judgement. However, that wider evidence does not support the appellant's case" (DL ¶12). "future occupiers would be largely reliant upon the private car … This would not provide the genuine choice of travel modes sought by the Framework" (DL ¶13).
• Openness: considerable weight to spatial and visual harm (DL ¶19).
• N6 ancient woodland: FAIL. "the absence of excavation does not automatically mean that harm would be avoided" (DL ¶25). "the convenience of providing a separate access does not amount to a wholly exceptional reason" (DL ¶29).

Planning balance

GB6(2) VSC. On one side, substantial weight to Green Belt harm plus harm to ancient woodland and modest character harm. On the other, limited weight each to avoided demolition (CC2/CC3), local historic interest, and bat roost retention, all discounted because those consequences had already been accepted in the 2017 permission (DL ¶32-37). These fell "well short" (DL ¶38).

What made the difference

Location. Every other grey belt limb passed, including unmet need through the HDT route despite a five-year supply. But a lane with no footways or lighting and remoteness from services failed limb (iii), and the low Connectivity Tool score corroborated this. The ancient woodland driveway was a free-standing second reason.

Transferable points

• Footnote 41 is satisfied by an HDT result below 75% even where the LPA has a five-year supply (DL ¶10).
• The Connectivity Tool (TR3(2)) is used alongside local evidence. A low score (25/100) supported by route-quality facts (no footways or lighting) defeats GB7(1)(g)(iii) (DL ¶12-13).
• An inspector has held that S5 does not displace GB7 on a Green Belt site (DL ¶8).
• Keeping a dwelling whose demolition justified a replacement permission cannot rely on GB7(1)(b) (DL ¶7).
• Benefits that amount to avoiding consequences already accepted under an earlier permission get limited weight (DL ¶33, ¶36-37).
• No-dig construction does not by itself avoid N6 deterioration of ancient woodland, and alternatives must be assessed (DL ¶25, ¶28-29).

Policy findings

Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.

Key facts

• Replacement dwelling approved 2017 on condition of demolition of the original; appellant sought to keep both
• Council can now show 5YHLS but most recent HDT result below 75%
• Connectivity Tool score 25/100 relied on by the Council (DL 12)
• Beare Green Road has no pavements or street lighting; A29 constrains routes to Beare Green and Holmwood station (DL 11-12)
• Proposed separate driveway would cut through ancient woodland (DL 23)

Sources

• Appeal on the Planning Inspectorate appeals service
• Decision letter (Planning Inspectorate)

This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.