Hambridge Lake, Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG19 3TR

‘Construction of 9 holiday chalets and clubhouse with access from Hambridge Road, parking areas, new pedestrian links and ancillary works.’

Authority: West Berkshire District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Shearing C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including the landscape character and trees
the effect of the proposal on biodiversity, with particular regard to protected species and whether the proposal would deliver an appropriate level of biodiversity net gain

What decided it

The proposal's harmful effects on landscape character and the failure to satisfactorily demonstrate acceptable effects on protected species and maximisation of biodiversity net gain, which together create conflicts with the development plan that are not outweighed by the moderate economic benefits of the scheme.

Plan policies cited: Policy CS19, Policy CS14, Policy CS18, Policy ADPP1, Policy DM2, Policy CS17, Policy CS10

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.