Midford Castle, Midford, BATH, BA2 7BU

construction of an agricultural barn and the installation of a stand-alone solar array system to service the Midford Castle Estate

Authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: utilities-energy · Other minor developments
Inspector: Webb B

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt
the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
the effect of the development on the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
whether the development would preserve the setting of a Grade I listed building
if the proposal would be inappropriate development, whether harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify it

What decided it

The development constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt causing substantial harm to openness and landscape character, with insufficient public benefits to demonstrate the very special circumstances necessary to justify approval.

Framework references: 149, 150, 151, 176, 199, 202

Plan policies cited: Policy CP8, Policy CP6, Policy NE2, Policy D2, Policy HE1

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.

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.