®Planning appeal decision
Land to the West of Rowington, Bridgwater Road, Winscombe , BS25 1NA
erection of 4 dwellings, associated works including access road, parking, and landscaping
- Authority
- North Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Page L
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on biodiversity and likely significant effects on the North Somerset and Mendip Horseshoe Bat SAC
- whether the proposal is in an appropriate location for housing in relation to the settlement strategy for the area including effects on character and appearance
What decided it
The proposed development would have an adverse effect on the integrity of the North Somerset and Mendip Horseshoe Bat SAC through loss of functionally linked foraging habitat and disruption to commuting routes, with inadequate mitigation measures, providing a clear reason for refusal under Paragraph 11(d)(i) of the Framework.
The Inspector found that even if the settlement boundary policies were out of date, the adverse effect on the SAC integrity provided a clear reason to refuse the development, and this ecological harm could not be outweighed by the limited socio-economic and energy benefits of four dwellings.
Framework references: 11, 69, 134, 180, 181
Plan policies cited: Policy CS4, Policy CS14, Policy CS32, Policy CS33, Policy DM8
Judgments cited: Waddenzee case (ECJ [2004] C-127/02)
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.