®Planning appeal decision
Land North of Bedford Road , Northampton, NN4 7YD
outline planning application (all matters reserved except for access) for the development of up to 24,000 sqm (GEA) of employment land (use classes E(g), B2 and B8) with new vehicular access, associated parking, highways infrastructure and other ancillary works
- Authority
- West Northamptonshire
- Appeal type
- other · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- employment-industrial · Unknown
- Inspector
- Sturgess M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site is in an appropriate location for the proposed development, having regard to the policies of the development plan
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposal on the heritage assets of the Conservation Areas of Great Houghton and Little Houghton and the Grade II* listed Churches of St Mary The Virgin, Little Houghton and St Mary The Virgin, Great Houghton
What decided it
The heritage and landscape/character harms, to which substantial and great weight were given, were not outweighed by the benefits of the scheme, principally its economic and employment benefits.
The substantial weight given to harm to the setting of the Great Houghton and Little Houghton Conservation Areas, the Grade II* listed church, and to the character and appearance of the countryside outweighed the substantial weight given to economic/employment benefits and the moderate/limited weight given to GVA, training, BNG and highway improvement benefits, so the appeal was dismissed.
Framework references: 180, 205, 206, 208
Plan policies cited: Policy BN5, Policy Q1, Policy ENV6, Policy GHNDP 1, Policy 1, Policy 3, Policy 6, Policy S4, Policy S8, Policy EC2, Policy EC3, Policy R2
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.