Planning victory protects Botley green space
Council can now take enforcement action to have unauthorised lorry park removed
A planning appeal, that was successfully defended by Eastleigh Borough Council's Planning & Environment and Legal Services teams, has curtailed industrial expansion into the countryside gap in Botley.
A four -day public inquiry in March was sparked by a landowner’s appeal against the Council’s decision to refuse a certificate of lawful existing use for the parking of HGV vehicles and trailers on land at Broadway Farm, Broad Oak. Designated as an agricultural field, the land is located in the countryside and within the green gap separating Botley and Hedge End.
The landowner claimed that the site had been used for the parking of motorised vehicles for more than a decade, but the Appeal Inspector upheld the Council’s refusal on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the site had been used for this purpose for a ten-year period.
This means that the Council can take enforcement action to have the unauthorised lorry park removed, returning the area to a field.
The Chair of the Hedge End, West End & Botley Local Area Committee, Councillor Cynthia Garton, said: “Protecting green spaces between our towns and villages is a key objective for the Council and we’re delighted that the Planning Inspector supported the Council’s decision to refuse permission for what was effectively a small lorry park in the countryside.”