Stables Retreat, Beslyns Road , Great Bardfield, CM7 4TG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the suitability of the location for the proposed dwellings, having regard to development plan policy concerned with development in the countryside; and, related to this, whether future occupants would have adequate access to services and facilities without undue reliance on private vehicle use
• the effect on the character and appearance of the appeal site and surrounding area, including the effect on trees, hedgerows and the setting of the Great Bardfield Conservation Area
• whether there is sufficient information to assess any effects of the proposal on local ecology and protected species, particularly with regard to the hedgerow to the site's northern boundary

What decided it

The material harm to the setting of the Great Bardfield Conservation Area, which provides a clear reason for refusal under the Framework exception and removes the presumption in favour of sustainable development despite the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

the harm to the setting of the designated heritage asset, characterised as less than substantial but of considerable importance and weight, was not outweighed by the moderate contribution to housing supply and limited other public benefits