Whittlesey Road, Benwick, Benwick, PE15 0XJ

permission in principle for up to 3 dwellings

Authority: Fenland District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Tudhope S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development

What decided it

The site's unsuitable location outside the village, combined with its location in Flood Zone 3 and failure of the sequential test, meant the proposal was not suitable for residential development and the modest benefits did not outweigh this harm.

the modest benefits of housing choice, economic activity and potential affordable housing did not outweigh the harm to character and appearance and the conflict with the development plan, including on flood risk grounds

Framework references: 15, 79, 203, 11

Plan policies cited: Policy LP3, Policy LP12, Policy LP14

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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