®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Warren Lane, Long Ashton, BS41 9DA
Planning appeal 3315584 at Land South of Warren Lane, Long Ashton, BS41 9DA (North Somerset Council) was dismissed on 29 August 2023 by Inspector Fagan N, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would cause less than substantial harm to the significance of the Gatcombe Roman Site Scheduled Monument (the SM) and, if so, whether that harm would be outweighed by any public benefits.
in the form of an application for outline planning permission for the erection of up to 35no dwellings, allotments and associated access, parking, drainage infrastructure and landscaping, with new access off Weston Road for approval and appearance, layout, scale and landscaping reserved for subsequent approval
- Authority
- North Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Fagan N
- Postcode
- BS41 9DA
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would cause less than substantial harm to the significance of the Gatcombe Roman Site Scheduled Monument (the SM) and, if so, whether that harm would be outweighed by any public benefits
- Whether the proposals would result in inappropriate development in the Bristol & Bath Green Belt and, if so, whether any benefits arising from it would amount to the very special circumstances (VSCs) necessary to outweigh such harm and any other harm
What decided it
The public and heritage benefits did not outweigh the less than substantial harm to the significance of the Scheduled Monument, and did not amount to very special circumstances outweighing the Green Belt harm from inappropriate development and loss of openness.
The heritage, affordable housing, economic, open space, biodiversity net gain and allotment benefits, even taken cumulatively and at the weights argued for by the appellant, came nowhere near outweighing the harm to the significance of the Scheduled Monument nor the harm to the Green Belt from inappropriateness and loss of openness, so the balance tipped against the development.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS5Policy DM6Policy CS17Policy DM12Policy CS32
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 8Paragraph 11Paragraph 15Paragraph 147Paragraph 148Paragraph 149Paragraph 199Paragraph 202
- Judgments
- Euro Garages Ltd v SSHCLG (QBD) [2018] EWHC 1753 (Admin); Hayes judgement
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.