Land to the rear of Saddlestones, 5 Butts Road, Chiseldon, Swindon, SN4 0NN

erection of a single self-build dwelling and associated infrastructure

Authority: Swindon Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Marigold O

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) within which it would sit
whether the proposal would accord with the spatial strategy of the Development Plan

What decided it

The proposal would cause harmful effects on the character and appearance of the AONB and would conflict with the spatial strategy of the Development Plan, and these harms are not outweighed by the limited material benefits.

The limited benefits from self-build provision, economic contribution during construction, and ecological enhancements were outweighed by the significant harm to character and appearance of the AONB and conflict with the spatial strategy of the Development Plan.

Framework references: 80, 11

Plan policies cited: Policy EN5, Policy DE1, Policy SD2

Judgments cited: Braintree DC v SSCLG [2018] EWCA Civ. 610; Julian Wood v SSCLG and Gravesham BC [2014] EWHC 683 (admin) [2015] EWCA Civ 195

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.