Upper Farm, Wexcombe, Marlborough, SN8 3SQ

the conversion of an existing agricultural building into a residential dwelling (C3 Use Class), together with associated residential curtilage, landscaping, parking and a garage. The proposals also include the demolition and removal of two redundant open sided barns and restoration of an existing former chapel

Authority: Wiltshire Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: O'Connor H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the site provides a suitable location for residential development having regard to local planning policies and accessibility
If harm arises, whether this is outweighed by other material considerations

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply triggered the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11, and the benefits of housing delivery and heritage restoration outweighed the limited conflict with Core Policy 48.

The benefits of providing an additional dwelling and modest heritage benefits from chapel restoration (moderate weight) outweighed the limited conflict with Core Policy 48 regarding the chapel restoration (limited weight), with the presumption in favour of sustainable development applying as a material consideration of considerable weight

Framework references: 11, 105, 197, 203, 184

Plan policies cited: Core Policy 1, Core Policy 2, Core Policy 18, Core Policy 48, Core Policy 60, Core Policy 61

Judgments cited: Hibbitt and another v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Rushcliffe Borough Council [2016] EWHC 2853 (Admin)

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.