- Decision
- dismissed, 4 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Lewis Condé
- Authority
- Buckinghamshire (South East)
- Appeal reference
- 6011692
- Application reference
- PL/26/02342/FA
- Procedure
- householder
- Development
- Single-storey front extension (garage linked by covered canopy)
- Site context
- green belt
- Green Belt
- Yes (grey belt not argued)
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- GB7(1)(b), GB6(2)
- Development plan policies
- Chiltern District Local Plan 1997 (consolidated 2011) GB2, GB13, GB15
- Main issues
- inappropriate development; openness; VSC
Summary
Front garage extension to an already-extended Green Belt dwelling. Dismissed. The cumulative increase of more than 80% over the original building was disproportionate under GB7(1)(b). There was limited openness harm and no VSC.
Issues and findings
- Transition. "there have not been any fundamental changes to national policy that have necessitated re-consultation" (DL ¶2).
- GB7(1)(b): FAIL. "Viewed in isolation, the proposed single-storey extension would not be excessive … However, the original dwelling has already been enlarged … the cumulative floor area exceeding 80% of that of the original building. Although percentage increases are not determinative in themselves, an enlargement of this scale is a significant material consideration" (DL ¶9).
- Openness. "Whilst the loss of openness would be limited, the Framework requires substantial weight to be given to any harm to the Green Belt" (DL ¶12).
- The absence of other harm "is a neutral consideration rather than a benefit" (DL ¶14).
Planning balance
GB6(2): considerations "do not clearly outweigh that harm" (DL ¶15).
What made the difference
Earlier extensions used up the headroom for further additions.
Transferable points
- Proportionality is judged cumulatively against the original building; a cumulative increase above 80% weighs heavily toward "disproportionate" (DL ¶9).
- An absence of harm on other matters is neutral (DL ¶14).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB7(1)(b) | fail | after earlier side and rear extensions, cumulative floor area would exceed 80% over the original; disproportionate (DL 7-11) | |
| GB6(2) | harm | substantial | limited loss of openness; no VSC; absence of other harm is neutral (DL 12-15) |
Key facts
- Dwelling in a small cluster of houses, already extended to the side and rear
- Even on the appellant's lower figures, cumulative increase over the original exceeds 80%
- Local Plan Green Belt policies given less weight than the Framework because they are not wholly consistent with it
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.