Hurst Farm, West Fen Road, ELY, CB6 2BZ

a new agricultural worker's dwelling

Authority: East Cambridgeshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: agricultural · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Cooper W

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether there is a demonstrable need for the proposed dwelling, with particular regard to whether there is an essential functional business need for an additional agricultural worker to live on-site, considering: a) staffing requirements and capacity for care of livestock and the running of the farm's facilities, including 'out of hours' night time cover; and b) availability of alternative residential accommodation.

What decided it

The appellants failed to demonstrate an essential functional business need for an additional full-time agricultural worker to live on-site, or that no suitable alternative accommodation was available nearby.

The limited benefits of the proposal, including animal welfare, reduced strain on the farm manager, added security and a modest housing contribution, were limited in scale and did not outweigh the significant harm identified from conflict with the district's locational strategy.

Plan policies cited: Policy GROWTH 2, Policy HOU 5

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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