Willowbrook Riding Centre, Hambrook Hill South, Hambrook, Chidham, PO18 8UJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the development would be in a suitable location, having regard to the local development strategy
• the effect of the development on the Green and Blue Infrastructure Network, including the Ham Brook Chalk Stream Wildlife Corridor and priority habitats
• the effect of the development on the safety and efficiency of the strategic road network and local highways
• whether the development would provide a suitable mix of housing
• the effect of the development on the integrity of European sites
• whether other material considerations outweigh any harm identified such as to justify the development

What decided it

The shortfall in the Council's five-year housing land supply, combined with the significant contribution the proposal would make to housing delivery including affordable housing and self-build provision, outweighed the modest harm from conflict with the development plan's locational strategy and the moderate harm from loss of land within the Green and Blue Infrastructure Network.

The adverse impacts of the development in respect of its conflict with the development plan (modest weight for locational conflict, moderate weight for GBI Network loss) were outweighed by the significant benefits of housing delivery (63 dwellings including 19 affordable units and 3 self-build plots) in the context of a demonstrated shortfall in five-year housing land supply, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.