- Decision
- approved, 15 September 2026
- Decided by
- Council planning committee: Warwick DC Planning Committee
- Authority
- Warwick (West Midlands)
- Application reference
- W/25/1768
- Procedure
- committee
- Development
- Multi-purpose hardstanding with storage shed, kiosk (7.82 m² footprint) and pergolas under 2.5 m for outdoor activities at the village hall
- Site context
- green belt, washed over village
- Green Belt
- Yes
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- GB7(1)(f)(iv), HC4
- Development plan policies
- Warwick District Local Plan 2011-2029 DS18, BE1, BE3, HS6, NE2, NE3, NE5, Burton Green NP 2018-2029 BG2, BG7
- Main issues
- Green Belt outdoor recreation facilities; community benefit; amenity
Summary
An outdoor activity area with small kiosk, store and pergolas beside Burton Green village hall, in the washed-over Green Belt. Warwick's committee approved it in line with officers. It was treated as appropriate facilities for outdoor recreation under GB7, with HC4 giving substantial weight to community facilities. Warwick's standard "NPPF 2026" report preamble is worth noting for later cases.
Issues and findings
- GB7 recreation facilities: PASS. "It is considered that this would constitute a outdoor sport or recreation use and therefore must be assessed against the exemption under Policy GB7 … None of the structures would exceed 2.5 metres in height and the kiosk and store buildings would have a limited footprint of 7.82 metres … the development would not significantly conflict with Green belt purpose c)" (Report, Green Belt).
- HC4. "NPPF Policy HC4 states that substantial weight should be given to the benefits where new or improved public service infrastructure or community facilities would be provided" (Report).
- Framework preamble. "In the circumstances where Development Plan policies (or parts thereof) are materially inconsistent with the national decision making policies included within the Framework, those Development Plan policies should be given very limited weight" (Report, Relevant Policies).
Planning balance
Not inappropriate, so no very special circumstances test was needed. Amenity was dealt with by condition.
What made the difference
Small scale, siting next to the hall, and an outdoor recreation use.
Transferable points
- Warwick DC committee reports now carry a standard preamble applying the Framework's "materially inconsistent, so very limited weight" rule to local plan policies. Use it against the Warwick Local Plan's H1/DS18-type policies where they conflict with S5/GB7.
- At the same 15/16 Sep committee (per the Summary of Decisions), members deferred a listed-building glazing application so officers could offer "clarity on the application of the updated NPPF" and evidence on previous decisions and appeals. The ref was not decodable from the Summary PDF (garbled font). It is probably W/26/0730/LB, 35 Leam Terrace. Members are asking officers to explain the new Framework.
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)(f)(iv) | pass | facilities for outdoor recreation linked to the existing use; small (under 2.5 m high), read with the hall; no significant conflict with purpose (c); openness impact minimised | |
| HC4 | benefit | substantial | officers quote HC4's "substantial weight" to improved community facilities and social interaction |
| P3 | pass | noise objections handled by an Environmental Health condition |
Key facts
- Washed-over Green Belt, outside the settlement boundary; village hall built under W/17/2398
- Nine objections (noise, "not a sports hall"); parish council no objection
- Referred to committee because of the number of objections; approved in line with the recommendation (decision issued 17 Sep 2026)
- The report's standard NPPF 2026 preamble says plan policies "materially inconsistent" with the national decision-making policies get "very limited weight"
Sources
- planningdocuments.warwickdc.gov.uk
- planningdocuments.warwickdc.gov.uk
- planningdocuments.warwickdc.gov.uk
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.