Appeal over 200 homes plan launched before council decision

A 200-home proposed development outside a village would have been rejected by councillors, had the decision not already been sent to appeal.

The plans for Shortlands Farm in the parish of Normandy, to the east of Ash in Surrey, would see the existing buildings at the site knocked down to make way for the new homes.

But the development's fate is currently in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate after the applicant filed an appeal "on the grounds of non-determination".

Guildford Borough Council officers explained that an agreement to extend planning deliberations had not been reached with the applicant, who instead opted to launch an appeal.

However, an outline application for the proposed development was considered by the planning committee to establish how it would have ruled.

Planning officers wrote in their report that they would have recommended refusal, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

While they argued the site would be classified as grey belt, they said it did not sufficiently meet the "golden rules" allowing for its release from the green belt.

While councillors were ultimately unanimous in their backing of the officers' report, some pushed back against classifying the site as grey belt.

The concept of grey belt was introduced in national planning guidelines in 2024, loosening development restrictions on land that does not adequately contribute to green belt purposes.

However, officers reiterated their views that the site does qualify as grey belt, and warned councillors that a refusal which pushed back at this would be "opening up the council to an application for unreasonable costs".

Committee members voted unanimously to back the officers' report, declaring they would have rejected the application had they been able to make a decision.

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