Plot 08, 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 proposals were found to comply with the development plan as a whole, having regard to sustainable location, limited and mitigable landscape harm, adequate living conditions, and a pressing unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches.

The benefits of meeting a pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches and the sustainability of a settled base outweighed the limited, localised harm to countryside character and the limited weight attributable to intentional unauthorised development, resulting in overall compliance with the development plan as a whole.