Blueberry Stables, Lancaster Road, Preesall, Poulton le Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 0HN

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Having regard to local and national development planning policy, whether the location of the proposal is appropriate with particular regard to access to services and facilities
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the countryside
• Whether the site is at risk of flooding
• Whether other material considerations, including the general need for and supply of gypsy sites, the accommodation needs and personal circumstances of the appellant, outweigh any harm identified, such as to justify the development

What decided it

The failure to demonstrate through a proper sequential test and site-specific flood risk assessment that the site was safe from flood risk for its lifetime, creating an unacceptable risk to the children who would live there, outweighed the benefits of the proposal.

The benefits of an appropriate location, no character harm, unmet gypsy accommodation need, lack of alternative sites, and the appellant's personal circumstances and the best interests of the children were outweighed by the unresolved flood risk to the safety of the children, and a temporary permission was also found not to be a proportionate alternative.