The human version (we wrote this, not the council)
This policy sets limits on extending or replacing buildings in the Green Belt. The resulting building must be no more than 50% larger than the original building's gross external floor area, with 'original' meaning the building as it stood on 1 July 1948 or as first built. Outside village built-up areas, domestic outbuildings must not exceed 25% of the original dwelling's floor area, cover no more than 50% of the garden area, or exceed 4 metres in height. Proposals must also respect the open character of the Green Belt.
An unofficial plain English summary. The official wording below is
what counts at examination; check it before you rely on anything here.
The text below is extracted automatically from the official PDF and may
contain artefacts; the PDF is authoritative.
NE17 – Extension or replacement of buildings and residential outbuildings in the
Green Belt
NE17: Extension or replacement of buildings and residential outbuildings in the Green Belt
1. The extension or replacement of a building will only be considered appropriate development in the Green Belt when it satisfies conditions (a) to (c) below. The gross external floor area of existing outbuildings unless proposed to be demolished will not be included in any calculations.
a) The total gross external floor area of the resulting building is no more than 50% greater than the original building gross external floor area; and
b) has no adverse impact on openness by virtue of bulk, height and location; and
c) It accords with a made Neighbourhood Plan (where applicable)
2. Extension or replacement of a dwelling by more than 50% of the original building gross external floor area is disproportionate, is likely to harm the openness of the Green Belt and would not be supported.
3. The erection of domestic outbuildings will be considered not inappropriate development in the Green Belt within village built-up areas shown on the Policies Map. Elsewhere in the Green Belt, any increase in the gross external floor area of residential outbuildings will only be considered appropriate development when all the following conditions apply:
a) The total gross external floor area of all outbuildings on the property would not exceed 25% of the gross external floor area of the original dwelling.
b) No more than 50% of the total area of the curtilage (excluding the ground area of the dwelling) shall be occupied by outbuildings.
c) No part of the development would exceed 4 metres in height (measured from the highest part of the surface next to the building where that has not been raised).
4. Proposals for the extension or replacement of a dwelling or the erection of an outbuilding will also be required to respect the open character of the Green Belt and appear proportionate to the original dwelling, taking account of visual impact.
7.270 For the avoidance of doubt, in applying (1) and (2) in the policy, the extension of an original building to increase floorspace shall include floorspace created in the roof.
7.271 The clarification in 3 (b and c) in the policy is necessary to ensure the openness of the Green Belt is not harmed by development which might share the outward form and design of agricultural buildings, but which are not reasonably necessary for agriculture (or forestry).
7.272 For the purposes of the policy, the term’ original building’ means a building as it existed on 1 July 1948 or, if constructed after 1 July 1948, as it was built originally.
7.273 For the purposes of Green Belt policy, a residential outbuilding will be classed as an extension providing it after development is located within 5m of the main dwellinghouse on the site. The erection of any residential outbuildings more than 5m from the main dwelling is unlikely to be classed as an ‘extension’.