- Decision
- dismissed, 28 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Chris Pipe
- Authority
- North Yorkshire (Yorkshire and the Humber)
- Appeal reference
- 6010807
- Application reference
- 26/01027/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Barn including stables, hardstanding and landscaping in open field
- Site context
- open countryside
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- DP3(1)
- Development plan policies
- Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-2035 HP3, HP7, NE4, Farm Buildings Design Guide 2020
- Main issues
- character and appearance
Summary
An equestrian barn with hardstanding in an exposed, elevated open field. Dismissed as "incongruous and visually intrusive" (DL ¶9). Equestrian use "may, in principle, require a countryside location", but that does not excuse inappropriate scale and siting (DL ¶8). The Framework switch was noted without consultation, and the Framework was cited only generically for design.
What made the difference
Siting in an open field with no built context. The nearby cricket pavilion was separated by a road and hedges, so it could not assimilate the barn.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP3(1) | fail | conflict with "design objectives of the Framework insofar as development should respond positively to local character and integrate successfully"; no DP3(3) refusal wording, no balance (DL 11); code mapped by harvester | |
| HP7 / NE4 (Harrogate LP) | conflict | large barn and hardstanding isolated on elevated open field; cricket pavilion across road does not assimilate it (DL 4-10) |
Key facts
- Elevated triangular field between Score Ray Lane and B6265; no existing built form on site (DL 4, 8)
Sources
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.