Hollam Farm 74 Bridge Street, Titchfield, FAREHAM, PO14 3QL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the location of the proposed dwellings is appropriate given the countryside location, distance from settlements, and relevant planning policy
• The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area and landscape, including the Strategic Gap
• The effect of the development on the integrity and qualities of ecological designated sites
• Whether the proposal can provide a biodiversity net gain/enhancement

What decided it

The significant adverse impact on the rural character and openness of the countryside, which would not be sufficiently mitigated by landscaping and would fail to minimise adverse impacts on the countryside as required by policy DSP40 criterion (iii), means the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the limited benefits of two dwellings even under the tilted balance.

The significant harm to the character and appearance of the rural area and the failure to minimise adverse impacts on the countryside outweighed the limited benefits of two dwellings towards housing supply, biodiversity enhancements, and economic benefits, even when assessed against the Framework policies taken as a whole under the tilted balance triggered by the five-year housing land supply shortfall.