Munty Cottage, Churchstanton, TAUNTON, TA3 7RH

Authority: Somerset West and Taunton *
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: O'Doherty A

What decided it

Even if the Council's unreasonable behaviour regarding the 5-year housing land supply had not occurred, the Council would have had clear grounds to refuse the application due to unacceptable harm to the AONB and character and appearance, meaning the appeal and its costs would have been necessary regardless.

The harm to the AONB and character and appearance, to which great weight must be given under paragraph 176 of the Framework, would have outweighed the limited benefits of the proposed development under either paragraph 11(d)(i) or 11(d)(ii) of the Framework.

Framework references: 75, 176, 11

Judgments cited: North Wiltshire DC v SSE (1993) 65 P&CR 137; R (Midcounties Co-Operative Limited) v Forest of Dean DC [2017] EWHC 2050; Baroness Cumberlege v SSCLG [2017] EWHC 2057; North Wiltshire DC v SSE & Clover (1993) 65 P&CR 137

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.

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