Grove Hall, Blind Lane, Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, CM9 8EP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether or not the site is a suitable location for housing, with particular regard to the Council's spatial strategy and accessibility to services, facilities and sustainable transport options
• whether or not the proposed scheme would preserve the listed building, its setting, or any features of special architectural or historic interest that it possesses
• the effect of the proposed scheme on the character and appearance of the site and the surrounding area
• the effect of the proposed scheme on the integrity of the habitats site
• whether or not there are other considerations that may indicate for or against the proposed scheme

What decided it

The modest benefits of the scheme, including housing delivery and use of previously developed land, outweighed the negligible adverse impacts and policy conflicts when weighed against the limited consistency of the restrictive local policy S8 with the Framework's balanced approach to rural housing.

The conflict with the spatial strategy and harm from location attracting negligible weight were outweighed by the benefits of housing provision, meeting housing need for 2-bed dwellings, use of previously developed land, and limited environmental impacts of conversion versus new build, such that material considerations indicated a decision not in accordance with the development plan was justified.