DLP obtained planning permission, via an appeal, for the development of a new scout headquarters in Holmesfield, on Green Belt land in North East Derbyshire.

The permission will allow the 3rd Holmesfield Scout Group to return to their original home of Holmesfield. It will provide additional capacity and up-to-date facilities to accommodate children and young adults who are currently on the waiting list to join the Scouts.

The planning application was refused in July 2020 because the Local Planning Authority considered the development to be inappropriate in the Green Belt, and the public benefits arising from the development would not outweigh the harm to the Conservation Area and the neighbouring Grade II listed Church.

DLP assessed the proposal against the national and local planning policy requirements for development to be approved in the Green Belt and detailed the array of benefits that constitute Very Special Circumstances. Any potential impact of the development on heritage assets was also reviewed.

There was considerable support for the proposal from the local community, and the Inspector gave very substantial weight to the benefit of providing a community facility for children.

The Inspector also found that the character of the Conservation Area and the setting of the neighbouring listed building would be preserved. The Inspector found that these considerations clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt, and therefore Very Special Circumstances exist when considering the case as a whole.