Land off Gilcroft Street/Vere Avenue, Skegby, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 2DS

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• In light of the government's objective of achieving well-designed places, would the scheme fail to make a positive contribution to local character
• Would the proposal provide a high standard of amenity for future occupants having regard to the gross internal floor area of certain dwelling types and the applicability or otherwise of internal space standards
• The overall planning balance taking account of the Council's acknowledged shortfall in housing land supply

What decided it

The acute housing position and pressing need to provide homes, combined with the Council's demonstrated shortfall in five-year housing land supply, meant that the identified design shortcomings of the northern parcel, although substantial, did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.

The substantial benefits of delivering 206 dwellings and addressing a lamentable housing shortfall, together with affordable housing provision and economic benefits, outweighed the substantial harm arising from poor design, lack of sense of place, and inadequate internal space standards, when assessed against the tilted balance in paragraph 11 of the Framework.