7 Alcester Road, Finstall, Bromsgrove, B60 1EL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies, including assessing the effect of the development on the openness of the Green Belt
• the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the development on ecology
• the effect of the proposed access on highway safety
• the effect of the proposed development on the future occupiers of proposed Plot 1 and the existing residents of No 3 Alcester Road, with regard to privacy
• whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development

What decided it

The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt with greater impact on openness than existing buildings, and the identified harms to the Green Belt, character and appearance, highway safety, and ecology are not clearly outweighed by the moderate benefits of housing supply.

the benefits of providing two additional dwellings to the housing supply (moderate weight) did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, the greater impact on openness, harm to character and appearance, harm to highway safety, and insufficient evidence regarding ecology