Boyer secures Croudace planning at Caterham

Boyer, part of LRG, has won full planning permission on appeal for 42 affordable homes at Longsdon Way, Caterham, on behalf of Croudace Homes (South Thames).

The roughly 10-acre site is currently unused grassland on the eastern edge of Caterham, in a district that has experienced a shortfall of 2,194 homes over the last seven years.

Although the land is designated Green Belt, Boyer and its consultant team successfully argued that it should be treated as Grey Belt under the revised National Planning Policy Framework. They also showed that the scheme would have an acceptable impact on the Area of Great Landscape Value and on the site’s lowland calcareous grassland, which is a habitat of principal importance.

The permission means the site can now be sold to an affordable housing provider, with construction expected to begin within the next year. Boyer has advised Croudace on the land for more than eight years, including promoting it through the Tandridge Local Plan before submitting the application.

Chris Roberts, associate director in Boyer South, said the appeal was a rewarding outcome after years of work and highlighted that the case turned on whether the site could be considered Grey Belt and how the development would affect its landscape and ecological value. He said the scheme demonstrates how Grey Belt policy can help deliver much-needed affordable housing.

Holly Becket, land manager at Croudace South Thames, said the outcome was the right long-term result for the site and for Caterham. She added that the development will protect and enhance the grassland and deliver a 20% biodiversity net gain, double the policy requirement, alongside wider ecological improvements.

Boyer was supported by 39 Essex Chambers, CSA Environmental, Tetlow King Planning, iTransport and SLR Consulting.