Land Adjacent to Meadow Brook Oslands Lane, Swanwick, Southampton, SO31 7EG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for a dwelling, having particular regard to flood risk and the application of the Sequential Test
• The effect of the proposal on highway safety, with particular regard to access design
• The effect of the proposal on the integrity of the Solent Coastal SPAs and the New Forest SPA/SAC/Ramsar

What decided it

The appellant's failure to provide a Sequential Test demonstrating that no reasonably available sites in lower flood risk areas were suitable for the development, combined with the location of the sole vehicular access within Flood Zone 3, meant the proposal conflicted with Local Plan Policy CC2 and Framework guidance on flood risk, and this significant environmental harm outweighed the housing and economic benefits.

The significant harm arising from flood risk and failure to satisfy the Sequential Test significantly and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefits of housing delivery and economic benefits, such that the proposal would not constitute sustainable development and the conflict with the development plan was not outweighed by other considerations including the Framework.