Caravan 19, 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, taken as a whole, complied with the development plan (including sustainability, character and living condition policies) and helped meet a pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches, with only limited and localised harm capable of mitigation.

The limited, localised harm to the character and appearance of the countryside (Plots 1, 1A and 2), mitigated by proposed landscaping, and the limited weight attributed to intentional unauthorised development, were outweighed by the site's reasonable accessibility, acceptable living conditions, and the pressing and urgent need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches, such that the proposals accorded with the development plan as a whole and permission was granted.