Land off Hinton Road, Childswickham, WR12 7HH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the appeal site is a suitable location for housing having regard to the policies of the development plan and the National Planning Policy Framework
• whether the proposal would make effective and efficient use of land and provide adequate affordable housing

What decided it

The harms arising from the unsustainable location in open countryside and inefficient use of land significantly and demonstrably outweigh the public benefits of self-build housing provision and affordable housing contribution.

The public benefits of self-build housing provision, modest affordable housing contribution via Section 106, and absence of highway, flooding or drainage objections were outweighed by the significant harms of locating housing in open countryside contrary to Policy SWDP 2, creating car-dependency contrary to Policy SWDP 4, and failing to make effective and efficient use of land contrary to Policy SWDP 13, such that the harms significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits.