Planning appeal decision
3 Pains Road, Southsea, PO5 1HE
Planning appeal 3270358 at 3 Pains Road, Southsea, PO5 1HE (Portsmouth City Council) was dismissed on 3 November 2021 by Inspector Small M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the integrity of the Solent Special Protection Areas (the SPAs).
C4 (house in multiple occupation) use to Sui Generis use (House in multiple occupation for over 6 persons)
- Authority
- Portsmouth City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Small M
- Postcode
- PO5 1HE
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the development on the integrity of the Solent Special Protection Areas (the SPAs)
- whether the proposed development provides satisfactory living conditions, with particular regard to personal and communal space and access to bathroom facilities
What decided it
The development would have an in-combination adverse effect on the integrity of the Solent SPAs from increased recreational activity and wastewater discharge, and no adequate mitigation mechanism had been secured before the Inspector.
The satisfactory living conditions provided by the development did not outweigh the likely significant adverse effect on the integrity of designated habitats sites for which there was no adequate mitigation.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy PCS13Policy PCS23
- Judgments
- Bernard Wheatcroft Ltd v SSE [JPL 1983 P37]
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 appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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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.
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