Land to the south of Chadwick Lane, Chadwick End, Solihull, B93 0BW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
• The effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
• Whether the development site is in a suitable location for housing with regard to accessibility to services, facilities and public transport
• Whether safe and suitable vehicular access can be provided to the development site
• Whether the proposal would safeguard protected species and their habitats and deliver a biodiversity net gain
• Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The substantial and significant harm to Green Belt openness and purposes, combined with the failure to demonstrate safe access, unsuitable location for housing, and unresolved ecological concerns, cannot be clearly outweighed by the modest benefits of the proposal, and very special circumstances do not exist.

The Inspector weighed the modest benefits of housing delivery, employment during construction, support for rural communities, sustainable drainage, and design quality of moderate weight against the substantial harm to Green Belt openness and purposes, the failure to meet accessibility requirements, unresolved highway safety concerns, and undemonstrated biodiversity net gain; the harm was not clearly outweighed by the benefits.