®Planning appeal decision
Land at Croft Road, Spencers Wood, WD3 4EH
Planning appeal 3290780 at Land at Croft Road, Spencers Wood, WD3 4EH (Wokingham Borough Council) was dismissed on 12 January 2023 by Inspector Jones H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The suitability of the site for the development having regard to the development plan's spatial strategy, and the effects of the development upon the character and appearance of the area including trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order.
erection of emergency siren and 2 self build plots
- Authority
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Jones H
- Postcode
- RG2 9EY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The suitability of the site for the development having regard to the development plan's spatial strategy, and the effects of the development upon the character and appearance of the area including trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order
- The effects of the development upon an emergency response relating to the Atomic Weapons Establishment Site at Burghfield
- Whether or not affordable housing should be provided, and, if so, whether appropriate arrangements have been made
What decided it
The harmful erosion of semi-rural character and appearance through introduction of development outside the settlement limit, combined with unresolved concerns about emergency response capacity within the Atomic Weapons Establishment Detailed Emergency Planning Zone, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest housing supply benefits.
The modest housing supply benefits and self-build provision (limited by lack of UU security) were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the harmful erosion of semi-rural character, conflict with spatial strategy, and unresolved emergency response capacity concerns, resulting in dismissal of the appeal
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP1Policy CP3Policy CP5Policy CP9Policy CP11Policy CP19Policy CC01Policy CC02Policy CC03Policy TB04Policy TB21Policy 1Policy 2
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 64Paragraph 97Paragraph 130Paragraph 174
- Judgments
- Wheatcroft (Bernard) Ltd v Secretary of State for the Environment and Harborough DC (1982); Crest Nicholson & Ors v West Berkshire District Council [2021] EWHC 289 (Admin)
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.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Wokingham Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Dismissed22 April 20253354144Ashdown Farm, Maidenhead Road, Hurst, Berkshire, RG40 5RR
- Dismissed28 October 20243332084Land to Rear of The Bowers, Sandhurst Road, Wokingham, RG40 3JX
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.