®Planning appeal decision
Land off Coate Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3LU
residential development (up to 200 dwellings), a local centre of 0.3ha (0.75 acres) (comprising commercial business and service uses (Use Class E), drinking establishment and hot food takeaway (Sui Generis) with a GIA limit of 1,000 sqm of which no more than 725 sqm (GIA) shall be used for retail (Class E(a)). No single retail (Class E(a)) unit shall comprise of more than 325 sqm (GIA)). Associated works, infrastructure, ancillary facilities, open space and landscaping. Vehicular access from Windsor Drive with the western end of Coate Road re-aligned to form the minor arm of a junction with the site access road
- Authority
- Wiltshire Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- McGlone A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development accords with the spatial strategy of the development plan
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the countryside
- whether the proposal would make adequate provision for affordable housing, open space/play area, education, waste and recycling, sport and leisure and highway works and highway and access improvements
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply rendered the key spatial strategy policies out-of-date, triggering the tilted balance which the substantial housing and other benefits outweighed against only minor/limited identified harms.
The substantial weight given to boosting housing supply and affordable housing delivery, together with significant weight to canal towpath improvements and moderate weight to economic and biodiversity benefits, outweighed the minor harm from conflict with the spatial strategy and the limited landscape harm, so the adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits under the tilted balance.
Framework references: 74, 176, 134, 11, 57, 55
Plan policies cited: CS Core Policy 1, CS Core Policy 2, CS Core Policy 12, NP Policy H1, CS Core Policy 51, CS Core Policy 52, CS Core Policy 57, NP Policy ESD1, CS Core Policy 3, CS Core Policy 55, CS Core Policy 60, CS Core Policy 61, CS Core Policy 62, CS Core Policy 63, NP Policy E1, NP Policy H2
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.