Plot 16, 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 overall conclusion that the proposals complied with the development plan as a whole, taken together with the pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches and only limited/localised harm identified, meant permission should be granted in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Framework.

The benefits of meeting a pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches and providing a settled base, together with only limited localised harm to countryside character (mitigated by landscaping) and acceptable living conditions, were found to outweigh the limited weight attributed to the intentional unauthorised development, resulting in overall compliance with the development plan as a whole.