| Conditions or Reasons: | | 1)
The buildings intended to be retained, by reason of their size, height, extent and location, harm the openness and character of the countryside hereabouts. Their retention is therefore contrary to Policies 8, 10 and 24 of the Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011, Policies NE4, NE10, BE11 and GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan and Policies NE1, NE9, BE8 and GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan First Review Deposit (and Proposed Modifications). |
| 2)
The site lies within the South Bedfordshire Green Belt and the proposal would therefore conflict with Policy 24 of the Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011, Policy GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan and Policy GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan First Review Deposit (and Proposed Modifications) whereby, within the Green Belt, permission will not be granted except in very special circumstances for development for purposes other than agriculture and forestry, mineral working, small scale facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation or other uses appropriate to a rural area which preserve the openness of the Green Belt. A garden centre is not an agricultural use and is not a use appropriate to a rural area. No special circumstances have been established in this case. |
| 3)
The use of the site and retention of the buildings as a garden centre would give rise to the need to make improvements both within the public highway, the site and other land, in particular the provision of a footpath, street lighting, visibility splays and increased junction capacity. These works would give the site and locality a more urbanised appearance and would both harm the character of the open countryside and cause further harm to the openness of the Green Belt. The absence of these works would give rise to the likelihood of danger, obstruction and inconvenience to users of the highway when the site and buildings are used as a garden centre. The proposal would therefore be contrary to Policies 8, 10 and 24 of the Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011, Policies NE1, NE4, BE11, T1 and GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan and Policies NE1, BE8, T4 and GB1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan First Review Deposit (and Proposed Modifications). |
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