Page 146 - Archive in reverse date order

− the effect upon the applicant must be weighed against the wider public interest.
−

1.2. Little Acre, Bunkers Hill (also known as Little Haven): findings of Inspector in
2009 (APP/D5120/A/08/2088892)

By now, this part of the land had been sold by Mr Button to a Ms Boswell, and was now
known as Little Haven. This time, the Inspector allowed the Appeal by the applicant and
granted planning permission (with Conditions) for use of the land as a private gypsy site for
a period of five years (para 2).

However, he did conclude that the development was harmful to the character and
appearance of the area (para 16) and inappropriate in the Green Belt (paras 17-20).

On the question of very special circumstances, the Inspector took account of the fact that
Ms Boswell and her family had lived on this land for some years and recognised that the
most likely consequence of a dismissal of the appeal would be that they would be forced to
leave their land and be rendered homeless. He therefore found that these were very special
circumstances (paras 43 and 46).

The five years granted by the Inspector in 2009 ceased in March 2014, when an application
for permission to continue the use of this land for stationing of caravans for occupation by
Gypsy Traveller families was submitted. Bexley's decision is awaited.

Notes:-

a) In 2009 Ms Boswell argued that she needed to live on the site as there were instances of
horse stealing in the area. This was not confirmed by the Cray Meadows Police Team. The
latter were again asked about this at a meeting of the Ward Panel on 23 October 2014.
Again, they confirmed that there were no instances of horse stealing in North Cray.

b) In 2009 the Boswell family were living on this land. The Inspector took into account the
probability that the family would be made homeless if he dismissed its Appeal, and found
that this amounted to very special circumstances. He therefore set a period of five years for
the family to be accommodated elsewhere. Despite his ruling to the contrary, a second
mobile home was brought on to the site soon afterwards- and there are now two families
living at Little Haven.

2. RECENT ARGUMENTS USED BY BEXLEY IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT
IN THE GREEN BELT

These include Bexley's apparent view (unsupported by the National Planning Policy
Framework or by its own published Policy) that such development is acceptable if:-

− the site is not prominent and the development cannot be seen from the road, eg is
screened from view by trees etc.

- the result is a tidying up of an untidy site.