Bromley moves to refuse 350-home Green Belt plan

Priya Harrington 2026-06-09 20:03 3 min read

Modern suburban housing development built on the edge of green space in the UK.

Bromley Council has resolved to refuse planning permission for 350 homes proposed on designated Green Belt land south of Burrfield Drive in St Mary Cray.

The council said the housing scheme was considered inappropriate for Green Belt land under Bromley’s planning policies. The resolution does not appear to be the final decision yet, because the application has now been referred to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State, both of whom have powers to intervene at this stage of the process.

Council officers are expected to be able to issue a decision in the coming weeks once that referral stage has been completed.

350 homes proposed south of Burrfield Drive

The application covers land south of Burrfield Drive in St Mary Cray, where the applicant sought permission for a substantial residential development of 350 dwellings.

Bromley Council’s position is that the development would conflict with protections for designated Green Belt land. Green Belt policy is intended to restrict inappropriate development, preserve openness and prevent the spread of built-up areas, although planning applications can still be tested through the usual decision-making process.

The council said the proposal was assessed in line with Bromley’s Planning Policy and that the resolution to refuse signals its intention to reject the scheme.

Councillor Yvonne Bear, Bromley’s Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said the development was “completely inappropriate” on the borough’s Green Belt land and that the council would continue opposing unsuitable Green Belt developments through the planning process.

Why residents in St Mary Cray will be watching the case

A 350-home scheme would be a major local planning matter for St Mary Cray, with potential implications for land use, local roads, services, housing supply and the character of the area around Burrfield Drive.

The council’s objection also places the case in the wider debate over how boroughs balance housing demand with protection for open land. Across England, local plans and individual applications are increasingly being tested against housing targets, infrastructure constraints and pressure on green spaces.

For readers following similar planning disputes, Demoduck has also covered how a revised local plan can put housing numbers and contested green space sites into focus, including in this report on green space and housing plans in Derby.

Bromley moves to refuse 350-home Green Belt plan

Referral to London and national authorities

Because of the type and scale of the proposal, the resolution to refuse has been referred to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State. Either can intervene in certain planning cases before a final local decision is issued.

That referral does not mean the scheme has been approved. It means the council’s intended refusal is going through the next required stage before Bromley can issue its decision.

The council said it expects to be able to issue a decision in the coming weeks, after this part of the process has taken place.

Delegated decision followed timing dispute

The resolution was issued under delegated powers rather than through the usual committee route.

According to the council, this happened after the applicant declined to agree to a further extension of time that would have allowed the application to be determined at the next available Development Control Committee.

That procedural detail matters because it explains why the refusal resolution was not made through the standard committee meeting process. The council has presented the delegated resolution as part of the ongoing planning route for the Burrfield Drive application, rather than as the final administrative step.

Final decision expected in the coming weeks

The next stage rests with the referral process involving the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State.

If neither authority takes over or directs a different route, Bromley Council would then be able to issue its decision. The council has said that could happen in the coming weeks.

Until that formal decision is issued, the key position is that Bromley Council has resolved to refuse permission for the 350-home Green Belt proposal south of Burrfield Drive in St Mary Cray.

Source: Bromley Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This report is based on Bromley Council's published notice about the Burrfield Drive planning application and its referral stage.

Checks

Confirmed the proposal described by the council is for 350 dwellings south of Burrfield Dr...
Checked that the council's stated reason is conflict with designated Green Belt protection...
Separated the council's resolution to refuse from the final decision, which is still subje...
Included the council's explanation that delegated powers were used after no further extens...

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