Appeal 3290097

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for proposed car port at [site address] , [site address] , [site address] [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 21/P/01625, dated 22 July 2021, and the plans submitted with it, subject to the following conditions:

The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision.

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 01 [name] and C01.

The appeal site is in the within a village washed over by the Metropolitan Green Belt. The main issues are whether the proposed car port would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) and any relevant development plan policies; and the effect of the proposed car port on the character and appearance of the area.

Paragraph 147 of the Framework says that inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. Both the Framework and Policy P2 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2019 (the LP) indicate that new buildings constitute inappropriate development unless the building falls within the list of exceptions identified in Paragraph 149 of the Framework. One of those exceptions is limited infilling in villages.

[site address] is a new dwelling built in what was the garden of [address]. The proposal is for a modest, open sided car port near to the house. On 21 July 2022 the Council granted planning permission for a car port of similar design and relative position in relation to buildings at [address] planning Ref 21/P/01624. This was on the basis that the car port amounted to limited infilling within the identified settlement boundary for [site address] . The car port which is the subject of this appeal would be in a similar relationship to buildings as the permitted car port. In this case, I see no reason to conclude other than it would also amount to limited infilling in the village and therefore also benefits from the exception to inappropriate development in the Green Belt at Paragraph 149 of the Framework and Policy P2 of the LP.

The appeal site is in a row of houses in relatively large gardens. The car port would be small and light weight. It would be set back from the road frontage and would largely be obscured by existing hedges and trees. Views of the proposal from public vantage points would be minimal. The car port would not harm the character or appearance of the area. It would not conflict with [name] G1 and G5 of the Guildford Local Plan 2003 in terms of scale, height, proportion and materials or Policy D1 of the LP in terms of quality of design.

As well as the standard condition specifying the time limits for commencement of development compliance with the approved plans is necessary to provide certainty.

The proposal benefits from the exception to inappropriate development as identified in the Framework and Policy P2 of the LP and would cause no harm to the character or appearance of the area. I conclude the appeal should be allowed.