Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 19 November 2025 by S Lo LLB M.SRA an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 24 February 2026 Appeal Ref: APP/M3645/W/25/3371815 Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, Surrey RH19 2LT • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr and Mrs Talbot against the decision of Tandridge District Council. • The application Ref is 2025/669. • The development proposed is the demolition of existing dwelling and erection of a replacement self build dwelling. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matters 2. The appeal site lies within the Green Belt where the fundamental aim is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. However, the Council concluded that the proposed development would comply with the requirements set out paragraph 154 d) of the National Planning Policy Framework (the ‘Framework’). As such, they considered that it would not represent inappropriate development. Accordingly, this matter was not cited within the reasons for refusal. Based on the evidence before me, I see no reason to reach a different judgement on this matter. 3.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision A previous planning application (2025/149) for a similar scheme was dismissed on appeal (APP/M3645/W/25/3367929) in September 2025. In that decision, the Inspector considered a range of issues raised by the Council and dismissed the appeal due to harm to the character and appearance of the area. The current proposal seeks to address the concerns highlighted in that decision. Main Issue 4. The main issue is the effect of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area; Reasons 5. The appeal site is located within Dormans Park, a suburban area characterised by spacious, landscaped plots accommodating predominantly detached dwellings, often accompanied by ancillary outbuildings. The siting and architectural styles vary considerably, resulting in limited uniformity across the estate. However, most properties feature traditional pitched or hipped roofs, with a mixture of contemporary and traditional designs. Many dwellings are set back behind gated entrances, contributing to an irregular building line. The varied topography, combined with mature vegetation, hedging and trees, frequently screens houses https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/M3645/W/25/3371815 from the roads and restricts intervisibility between properties. Overall, the street scene is defined by generous gardens and spacious plots that create a strong impression of openness. 6. The appellant indicates that the estate was originally influenced by classical Italian villa architecture. They state that it was developed by the Bellaggio Estate Company, which was named after the village of Bellagio on Lake Como. This background has not been disputed by the Council. 7. The appeal property is a two-storey brick dwelling dating from the 1930s, featuring a combination of pitched and hipped roofs. Its design incorporates an octagonal pitched roof above the ground-floor snug, a feature characteristic of some of the original development within Dormans Park. The building is broadly square in form and appears to have been extended at various points in its history. It occupies a triangular corner plot between Eden Vale and Plas Newydd, sitting directly on the road boundary of Plas Newydd with minimal separation. As a result, the property is highly prominent in public views.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision Although it may be modest in scale compared with several more modern dwellings nearby, the property remains representative of the established pattern of development within Dormans Park. 8. The proposed development would result in a substantial change to the existing design of the dwelling, introducing a series of strong Italian architectural influences. These include detailed brickwork, arched brick colonnades, and exposed timber rafter feet expressed beneath the pitched roofs. The scheme also incorporates integrated photovoltaic panels across the metal-seamed roof, together with an arched brick colonnade on the southern elevation that provides functional solar shading. The submitted plans indicate that the southern elevation features extensive glazing, allowing high levels of natural light into the lounge, dining room, kitchen, and several bedrooms. 9. I recognise that this Italian-villa-inspired form would be visually distinct within the local context, although I also note the considerable architectural variety present within the surrounding area.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision The proposed design would be relatively unusual; however, it is recognised that there is an intention to draw on some of the historic influences that informed the early development of Dormans Park. Furthermore, the development would maintain the key spatial characteristics that define the perceived street scene, including generous garden areas, substantial tree cover, and the low-density pattern of development 10. I note that the Inspector in the previous appeal found that the design and scale of the scheme then before them would be significantly at odds with the established character and appearance of the area. In particular, they found that although many of the surrounding dwellings are larger than the proposed development, they predominantly retain more conventional pitched or hipped roof forms. 11. While I have taken the findings of the previous Inspector into account, I have nevertheless assessed the current proposal afresh and on its own merits, reflecting the changes that have been made to the scheme. In comparison with the earlier appeal, the two-storey tower and the rotunda/orangery have been removed, and the overall volume, width and footprint of the dwelling have been reduced.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision These amendments have the effect of reducing the proposal’s overall visual prominence. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision These amendments have the effect of reducing the proposal’s overall visual prominence. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2 Appeal Decision APP/M3645/W/25/3371815 12. Nonetheless, the design, height, depth and siting of the proposed dwelling remain largely unchanged. The ridge height would remain at approximately 6.4 metres, which would be consistent with the design of the previous proposal. Although this would be around 0.5 metres lower than the existing building, it would still result in a 0.5 metre increase in eaves height. This increase has the effect of elevating the main wall massing and would result in a more pronounced perception of bulk, giving rise to a noticeably greater sense of scale and visual presence. The increased vertical emphasis would also produce a relatively squat roof profile, and despite the reductions in overall volume, width and footprint, the scheme would retain much of the earlier proposal’s central and bulky form. Notably, the principal architectural composition would remain materially similar to the previous scheme. Consequently, it would continue to appear discordant alongside the more traditional roof forms that are characteristic of the locality. 13.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision Additionally, notwithstanding the historic influences that shaped the early development of Dormans Park, there is no evidence before me to suggest that the original Italian-villa architectural character has been retained. Instead, it appears to have been replaced by more typically traditional forms of development. As such, despite the historic Italian-themed origins of Dormans Park, the proposed development would not reflect the prevailing current architectural character of the area. In its current form, it would appear incongruous, given the absence of similar buildings within the area’s established character. 14. I have considered that the replacement dwelling would occupy broadly the same position as the existing property, albeit set slightly further back from the adjacent highway, Plas Newydd. While the plans show a low-level retaining wall, no additional planting or screening is proposed. Owing to its increased height and massing, the building would rise noticeably above the existing perimeter hedging. The appellant indicates that this degree of visibility is intentional, aiming to create a prominent architectural statement.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision As such, it is undisputed that the development would have a significant impact on the street scene. This presence would be particularly visible along the southern elevation, which faces Eden Vale. Accordingly, the proposed development would remain highly visible to passing traffic, notwithstanding that the building has been moved to sit further away from the public highway on Plas Newydd. 15. Taking all of these factors into account, I am satisfied that, although there is a range of architectural scales and styles in the area and the proposed development would broadly retain the overarching sense of openness which is characteristic of the street scene, the design and bulk of the proposed development would still appear incongruous within the locality. The surrounding development has largely moved away from the architectural influences that originally shaped Dormans Park, and the proposal would not reflect this evolved character. Furthermore, the high degree of visibility would ensure that the dwelling has a direct and noticeable effect on the street scene, resulting in a visually disruptive presence. 16.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision In conclusion, the proposed development would have a harmful effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area. It would fail to integrate appropriately with its context or reflect and respect the established character, setting, and local context. Accordingly, the proposal would fail to comply with Policy DP7 of the Tandridge Local Plan: Part 2 – Detailed Policies (2014) and Policy CSP18 of the Tandridge District Core Strategy (2008). https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision In conclusion, the proposed development would have a harmful effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area. It would fail to integrate appropriately with its context or reflect and respect the established character, setting, and local context. Accordingly, the proposal would fail to comply with Policy DP7 of the Tandridge Local Plan: Part 2 – Detailed Policies (2014) and Policy CSP18 of the Tandridge District Core Strategy (2008). https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/M3645/W/25/3371815 Other Matters 17. Interested parties have raised concerns about the potential for traffic inconvenience during construction. While I acknowledge these concerns, the Council has not objected on these grounds. Accordingly, I have found no reason why this consideration should weigh or fall against the proposal. 18. One of the Council’s suggested conditions relates to securing the dwelling as a self-build unit. However, such restrictions should ordinarily be secured by legal agreement rather than by condition, and the absence of such a mechanism could give rise to uncertainty in relation to fulfilling biodiversity net gain requirements. Nonetheless, as I have already identified harm on other grounds and I am dismissing the appeal on the main issue, it has not been necessary for me to consider this matter in further detail. Conclusion 19. The proposal conflicts with the development plan taken as a whole and material considerations do not indicate that the appeal should be determined other than in accordance with it. Therefore, for the reasons set out above, I conclude that the appeal should be dismissed.

Rose Cottage Eden Vale, Dormans Park, EAST GRINSTEAD, RH19 2LT — Tandridge District Council — S Lo INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 4