Plot 20A, Sunset Park Homes, Whitfield, Brackley, NN13 5TD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed increase in the number of caravans, including any cumulative effects, is acceptable having regard to the location of the site within the countryside and the proximity to services and facilities in the surrounding area.
• The effect of the proposals, including any cumulative effects, on the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside.
• Whether the proposed site would provide suitable living conditions for future occupants with particular regard to amenity space and privacy.
• Whether in the absence of any provision for touring caravans the proposed site would be suitable for Gypsies and Travellers.
• The need for and supply of Gypsy and Traveller sites within Buckinghamshire, including whether there is a five year supply of Gypsy and Traveller sites.
• The availability of alternative sites
• The accommodation needs and personal circumstances of the appellants.
• The Gypsy and Traveller status of the occupants of the site.

What decided it

The Inspector's finding that the proposals complied with the development plan as a whole (including sustainability, character/appearance, living conditions and Gypsy/Traveller suitability policies) meant permission should be granted, with only limited weight given to the intentional unauthorised development.

The environmental, social and economic benefits of the proposals, including meeting a pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches, outweighed the limited harm from intentional unauthorised development and the localised harm to countryside character at Plots 1, 1A and 2, such that the proposals accorded with the development plan as a whole and permission should be granted in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Framework.