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Allowed17 May 20223259668

Land North of Ansford Hill, Ansford, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7PD

Planning appeal 3259668 at Land North of Ansford Hill, Ansford, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7PD (South Somerset District Council *) was allowed on 17 May 2022 by Inspector Butcher H, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

the erection of 200 dwellings (70 affordable and 130 open market) with associated highways, drainage, landscaping and public open space

Authority
South Somerset District Council *
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Butcher H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
  • Whether the site is a suitable location for development having regard to local planning policy
  • The effect of the development on phosphate levels in the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site
  • The housing land supply position for South Somerset District

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply triggered the tilted balance, and the substantial benefits of housing delivery were not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the identified landscape, heritage and agricultural land harms.

The benefits of housing delivery (including affordable housing), sustainable access to the railway station, pedestrian improvements and economic benefits were found to be substantial and were not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the harm to landscape character, heritage setting, conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy, and loss of Grade 2 agricultural land, so the tilted balance favoured granting permission.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EQ2Policy EQ3Policy DP1Policy SS1Policy SS5Policy LMT1Policy HG3Policy HOU2Policy EQ4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 174Paragraph 57Paragraph 11

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in South Somerset District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022

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  5. Dismissed4 December 20233309133
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.