We recently secured a planning appeal win against the Forest of Dean District Council, which has resulted in outline planning permission being granted for the development of a single dwelling on a site just to the north of Newent, Gloucestershire.
The original application had been refused earlier this year on two grounds:
1) the potential effect the proposed development would have on the character and appearance of the surrounding area;
2) whether or not the proposal constituted sustainable development.
We felt this was unjustified and set about making the case for appeal.
The site:
The application sought outline permission for the demolition of an existing garage and the erection of a new build residential dwelling on a sizeable plot of land.
The site was situated just outside the settlement boundary and was defined by local policy as being within a Landscape Character Assessment of Low Hills and Orchards.
Making a robust appeal:
In light of the local landscape character assessment, we had undertaken a thorough review of the site context as part of the original application. This showed that whilst the wider setting was rural, the immediate context of the site sat within a domestic group of houses which all varied in form and appearance.
Therefore whilst local policies seek to conserve and preserve the characteristics of the area, it could not be argued that either the land or its immediate context has the appearance of open countryside. As such, we were able to demonstrate that a proposed development of a single dwelling could not be argued to constitute harmful erosion of the local landscape character.
Location, location, location:
In terms of the site location just outside the settlement boundary, we provided robust evidence of its strong relationship with the village and its excellent access to the services provided either by public transport or safely on foot.
Furthermore the council could not demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply. Therefore the single dwelling would not only provide a contribution to housing need, it would also provide economic benefits for the duration of its construction. As such we were able to justify the sustainable credentials of the site and the Inspector agreed with our findings at appeal.
Overall it was concluded by the Planning Inspector that the proposed development would give rise to no adverse impacts sufficient to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
The planning appeal was allowed and planning was approved.
About us:
Plainview Planning has been providing expert support on planning applications and appeals for almost a decade. If your new build scheme could do with some professional planning input, feel free to contact our knowledgeable team with your planning enquiry via enquiries@plainview.co.uk.