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Allowed13 February 20233288019

Land to the West of Park Farm, Thornbury, BS35

Planning appeal 3288019 at Land to the West of Park Farm, Thornbury, BS35 (South Gloucestershire Council) was allowed on 13 February 2023 by Inspector Downes T, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the location of the appeal site outside the settlement boundary of Thornbury would be harmful to the spatial strategy in the development plan.

Erection of up to 595 dwellings (Use Classes C3); land for a primary school (Use Class D1); up to 700m2 for a retail and community hub (Use Classes A1, A2, D1); a network of open spaces including parkland, footpaths, allotments, landscaping and areas for informal recreation; new roads, a sustainable travel link (including a bus link), parking areas, accesses and paths; and the installation of services and drainage infrastructure

Authority
South Gloucestershire Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Downes T

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the location of the appeal site outside the settlement boundary of Thornbury would be harmful to the spatial strategy in the development plan
  • The effect of the proposal on heritage assets
  • Whether the proposal would result in an unacceptable loss of best and most versatile agricultural land
  • Whether the proposal would provide sufficient choice for journeys other than the private car
  • Whether the Council can demonstrate a five year housing land supply
  • The effect on ecology and nature conservation

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five year housing land supply engaged the paragraph 11(d)(ii) tilted balance, and the substantial package of benefits (including housing and affordable housing delivery) was found to outweigh the identified harms, including heritage harm.

the very substantial package of public benefits (housing delivery, affordable housing, self-build plots, sustainable transport, biodiversity gains and economic benefits) outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm, the limited harm from development outside the settlement boundary, the limited harm from loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, and the moderate harm from accessibility shortcomings, such that adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy CS5Policy CS6Policy CS8Policy CS9Policy CS15Policy CS18Policy CS23Policy CS24Policy CS32Policy CS34Policy PSP6Policy PSP11Policy PSP17Policy PSP18Policy PSP19Policy PSP42
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 56Paragraph 57Paragraph 71Paragraph 74Paragraph 174Paragraph 175Paragraph 199Paragraph 202

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 South Gloucestershire Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

  1. Allowed25 August 20266009167
    27 Gloucester Road North, Filton, BS7 0SQ
  2. Dismissed13 July 20266006492
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  3. Allowed9 July 20266008703
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  4. Dismissed29 June 20266007248
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  5. Dismissed23 June 20266003830
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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.