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Dismissed1 November 20223287383

Land West Of Wokingham Road and East Of Lower Church Road, Sandhurst, GU47 8JB

Planning appeal 3287383 at Land West Of Wokingham Road and East Of Lower Church Road, Sandhurst, GU47 8JB (Bracknell Forest Borough Council) was dismissed on 1 November 2022 by Inspector Gould G, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Blackwater Valley area of special landscape importance (the ASLI).

erection of up to 150 dwellings, creation of new access off Wokingham Road, Sandhurst, and provision of public open space, landscaping, suitable alternative natural greenspace (SANG) and related infrastructure and new 20 space car park (all matters reserved except for details of vehicular access from Wokingham Road and to the car park from Lower Church Road)

Authority
Bracknell Forest Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Gould G

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Blackwater Valley area of special landscape importance (the ASLI)
  • The effect of the development on the setting of the grade II* listed St Michael's Church (the Church)
  • Whether the development would provide safe and adequate access for motorised and non-motorised users of the public highway
  • Whether there would be accessibility to local services and facilities for the occupiers of the development by a range of modes of transport
  • The effects of the development on the integrity of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (the SPA)
  • The effects of the development on biodiversity, including protected species
  • Whether the development would make adequate provision for affordable housing
  • Whether the development would make adequate provision for transportation and community infrastructure
  • Whether the development would make adequate provision for surface water drainage

What decided it

The very substantial harm to the character and appearance of the area caused by the development's incursion into open countryside on the west facing slope significantly and demonstrably outweighed its benefits.

The substantial social and economic benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing, SANG/POS/BNG provision and transport contributions were outweighed by the very substantial harm to the character and appearance of the area, such that under the tilted balance the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EN10(i)Policy EN20(i)Policy CS1(viii)Policy CS7(i)Policy CS9Policy EN1Policy EN8Policy H5Policy CS2Policy CS23Policy CS24Policy CS6Policy CS14Policy CS16Policy CS17Policy M1Policy M6Policy M8Policy CP1Policy NRM6Policy LP19Policy LP37Policy H8Policy CS1Policy EN3
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 48Paragraph 74Paragraph 126Paragraph 130Paragraph 174Paragraph 199Paragraph 202
Judgments
Wavendon Properties [2019] EWHC 1524 (Admin); Peel Investments [2020] EWCA Civ 1175

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Bracknell Forest Borough Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022

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  5. Allowed3 September 20253358714
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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.