®Planning appeal decision
Land West of Barrowfield Cottage, Front Street, Churchill, Somerset, BS25 5NB
Planning appeal 3278138 at Land West of Barrowfield Cottage, Front Street, Churchill, Somerset, BS25 5NB (North Somerset Council) was dismissed on 21 December 2021 by Inspector Jones RE, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, having particular regard to the Churchill Conservation Area and trees on the site.
outline application with all matters reserved for the erection of up to five open market dwellings, ecological mitigation and associated parking (re-submission of application 19/P/1786/OUT)
- Authority
- North Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Jones RE
- Postcode
- BS25 5NB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, having particular regard to the Churchill Conservation Area and trees on the site
- The effect of the proposal on biodiversity, with particular regard to protected species and the North Somerset and Mendip Horseshoe Bat Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest
What decided it
The failure to demonstrate that adequate mitigation measures would protect the integrity of the Horseshoe Bat SAC and the potential harm to hazel dormouse, combined with the less than substantial but considerable harm to the conservation area's character and appearance, could not be outweighed by the modest public benefits of the proposal.
The modest public benefits of a small increase in local housing stock, local spending and improved pedestrian accessibility were outweighed by the less than substantial but considerable harm to the conservation area and the significant harm to biodiversity interests, particularly the failure to adequately mitigate impacts on the Horseshoe Bat SAC
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS5Policy CS12Policy CS32Policy CS4Policy DM3Policy DM10Policy DM32Policy DM37Policy DM8
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 180Paragraph 199Paragraph 202Paragraph 197
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.