CONTROVERSIAL development proposals for Caterham's former hospice site have been thrown out on appeal.
Croydon-based epilepsy care provider Independence Homes wanted to bulldoze the building in Harestone Drive to make way for a 20-bed care home, offices, 25 flats and five houses.
But the scheme was rejected by Tandridge District Council back in March – and on Monday, independent planning inspector David Prentis announced that he had rejected the company's appeal against the council's decision.
Caterham district councillor Beverley Connolly said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the verdict.
"It would have been a massive overdevelopment of the site.
"Hopefully now Independence Homes will consult with the local community before submitting any revised plans."
Gill Black, who chairs the council's planning committee, said: "We are pleased that, following a robust debate of the planning issues by the planning committee when a number of potential reasons for refusal were discussed, the inspector has upheld the council's decision to refuse the application on the basis of the unacceptable impact on the character of the area."
A spokesman for Independence Homes said: "We are extremely disappointed that the appeal was not upheld, the result of which is a delay in providing important care services to people with epilepsy.
"We are now working on providing both the council and our neighbours with proposals for a suitably amended scheme, taking account of the inspector's findings."