Land and premises known as Plot 7 (adjacent to Woodview), Brockford Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5SG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the countryside location.
• The effect of the development upon the setting of nearby listed buildings.
• Whether the development would comply with planning policy which seeks to steer new development away from areas at the highest risk of flooding.
• Whether the appeal site is situated within a sustainable location.
• whether there are any other considerations to outweigh any harm identified.

What decided it

The lack of any available alternative sites combined with the appellants' personal circumstances and the unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches outweighed the identified harms sufficiently to justify a temporary, personal permission, though not a permanent one.

The significant harm to character and appearance and the very significant conflict with flood risk policy, together with lesser harm from the unsustainable location, were not outweighed by the considerable weight given to unmet need, lack of alternative sites and personal circumstances so as to justify permanent permission, but those considerations were sufficient to tip the balance in favour of a temporary, personal permission for three years.