Goal Farm, Gole Road, Woking, GU24 0PZ

1. 1.The development is considered to have a material impact on the openness of the Green Belt and is contrary to one of the five purposes of the Green Belt, resulting in further encroachment into the countryside. The development is also not considered to meet the definition of Grey Belt due to the application of footnote 7, being the harm to the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (habitat site). Consequently, the development is considered inappropriate development in the Green Belt. Inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. It is not considered that there are very special circumstances that exist that clearly outweigh the harm in principle to the Green Belt and the other identified harms. The development therefore fails comply with Policy P2 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2015 - 2034, the Green Belt Supplementary Planning Document 2023 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.
2. 2.The introduction of residential development comprising of two Gypsy or Traveller pitches each with one static and touring caravan and day room together with significant areas of hardstanding, fencing and landscaping within a previously open agricultural field has resulted in an incongruous and overly prominent form of development that results in demonstrable harm to the visual amenity and Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4BB intrinsic qualities of the countryside and the character of the immediate area. The development is therefore considered to be contrary to Policy D4 in the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Development Management Policies 2023, Policy D1 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2015 - 2034, paragraph 27 of the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites 2024 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.
3. 3.The application is not supported by any ecology information. The likely presence or absence therefore cannot be confirmed and consequently, whether there would be any harm to protected species and habitats. The proposed development is therefore contrary to Policy P6 of the Guildford Local Plan: Development Management Policies 2023 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.
4. 4.Due to the presence of areas of high and medium surface water flood risk, and absence of details demonstrating that the built development is and would continue to be located in areas of low risk of all sources of flooding now and in the future, including a site-specific flood risk assessment, application of the sequential test and exception test (if required), and detailed drainage strategy, the development does not comply with Policy P4 of the Guildford Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2015 - 2034, Policy P11 of the Guildford Local Plan: Development Management Policies 2023 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2024.
5. 5.The site lies within the 400m to 5km zone of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBHSPA). The Local Planning Authority is not satisfied that there will be no likely significant effect on the Special Protection Area and, in the absence of an appropriate assessment, is unable to satisfy itself that this proposal, either alone or in combination with other development, would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of the Special Protection Area and the relevant Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In this respect, significant concerns remain with regard to the adverse effect on the integrity of the Special Protection Area in that there is likely to be an increase in dog walking, general recreational use, damage to the habitat, disturbance to the protected species within the protected areas and road traffic emissions. As such the development is contrary to policy P5 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan: Strategy and Sites (LPSS) 2015-2034 and conflicts with saved policy NRM6 of the South East Plan 2009. For the same reasons the development would fail to meet the requirements of Regulation 63 of The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 as amended, and as the development does not meet the requirements of Regulation 64 the Local Planning Authority must refuse to grant planning permission.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

GU24 0PZ

Application type

Full Application

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Pirbright

Date validated

7 April 2026

Consultation expiry

10 May 2026

Consultation start

17 April 2026

Consultation end

10 May 2026

Neighbour consultation start

17 April 2026

Neighbour consultation end

10 May 2026

Last date for comments

2 June 2026

Target decision date

2 June 2026

Applicant

Private applicant

Agent

WS Planning & Architecture

Agent address

5 Pool House, Bancroft Road, Reigate, RH2 7RP

Case officer

Morgan Laird

Statutory period

56 days

Advertisement expiry

10 May 2026

Site notice start

19 April 2026

Site notice end

10 May 2026

Planning Portal ID

PP-14840458

Documents

15