®Planning appeal decision
Land north of Ansford Hill, Ansford, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7PD
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.
Framework references: 174, 57, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy EQ2, Policy EQ3, Policy DP1, Policy SS1, Policy SS5, Policy LMT1, Policy HG3, Policy HOU2, Policy EQ4
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.