®Planning appeal decision
172 Locking Road , Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 3LU
Planning appeal 3348771 at 172 Locking Road , Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 3LU (North Somerset Council) was dismissed on 20 February 2025 by Inspector Reeves K, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to the risk of flooding.
proposed demolition of existing outbuilding and erection of 1no. dwelling
- Authority
- North Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Reeves K
- Postcode
- BS23 3LU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to the risk of flooding
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- the effect of the proposed development on the living conditions of occupiers of neighbouring properties with regard to privacy
What decided it
The proposal fails the exception test for development in Flood Zone 3 because the wider sustainability benefits do not outweigh the flood risks, particularly the reliance on long-term maintenance and upgrading of flood defences without sufficient evidence of commitment.
The flood risk, which is not outweighed by the wider sustainability benefits, means that the climate change, flooding and coastal change policies in the Framework provide a strong reason for refusing the development, notwithstanding the Council's inability to demonstrate five-year housing land supply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CS3 of the North Somerset Core Strategy (2017)Policy DM1 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1 (2016)Policy CS12 of the North Somerset Core Strategy (2017)Policies DM32 and DM37 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1 (2016)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 178
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.