Branford Wells, Newchapel
Five dwellings, the same number proposed at Station Road, on a 40 mph lane without footways or lighting. The first decision under the new Framework to fail a small scheme on the sustainable location limb.
- Appeal reference
- APP/M3645/W/26/6010313
- Decided
- 4 September 2026, written representations
- Authority
- Tandridge District Council
- Proposal
- Conversion of agricultural buildings to five dwellings
- Housing land supply
- 1.97 years, a shortfall of more than 3,000 homes
- Framework
- August 2026
What the inspector found on foot
The road
One sentence carries the finding.
It lies on Brickhouse Lane which is subject to a 40 mile per hour speed limit and lacks footways and streetlighting … future occupiers … would be heavily reliant on private vehicles to access services, and the location would not offer them a genuine choice of transport modesDecision letter ¶14
“Only five houses”
The appellant's scale argument was answered directly, and this is the passage most often cited since.
The proposed development would introduce five dwellings into an area with very few residential properties. Residents, their visitors, service and delivery vehicles … would generate a significant amount of movement in this contextDecision letter ¶13
What else was weighed
Location. The site lies away from settlements, facilities and bus services. No bus evidence was relied on.
Grey belt and unmet need. Both were accepted. “There is an evidenced unmet need for the type of development proposed under criterion (ii)” (¶11). The shortfall did not carry the location limb.
Heritage. Moderate harm to the setting of the Grade II listed Branford Wells farmhouse. “Given the relatively modest scale of the public benefits, these would not outweigh the harm” (¶23).
Weight to the homes. Moderate at ¶33, described as “modest” in the very special circumstances balance at ¶38, against a 1.97-year supply.
Absence of harm. “The absence of harm would be a neutral matter which would not carry weight in favour of the scheme” (¶36). A clean highways response counts for nothing on the positive side.
The point the case turned on
The location. An acute shortfall satisfied limb (ii) automatically and then did nothing further. Once limb (iii) failed the scheme was inappropriate development, and five homes at moderate weight could not clearly outweigh Green Belt, openness, heritage and character harm.
Read the inspector's full decision: appeal 6010313 (PDF). Official record on the Planning Inspectorate service: appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk. Paragraph numbers above are those of the decision letter.
Summarised for application 26/01470/FUL, Land North of Station Road, Claverdon. Quotations are verbatim from the decision letter; the surrounding description is a summary. Back to the route survey.
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