Gatley Golf Club, Styal Road, Gatley, Cheadle, SK8 3TW

outline planning permission (access only) for up to 278 dwellings, retention of the existing Heald Green Community Theatre building, retention of the existing Clubhouse to facilitate its use as a community hub (sui generis) for flexible uses within Use Class E (a)(b)(e)(g(i)) and Class F2 (a)(b) (The combined retail and shop sales within Use Classes E(a) and F2(a) to be limited to a maximum of 200sqm net floorspace), associated landscaping and open space and all user access from Pymgate Lane, Grasmere Road and Troutbeck Road and non-motorised user access from Styal Grove, Yew Tree Grove and Rose Vale Park

Authority: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Wilkinson S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the appeal scheme on the provision of open space and recreational facilities.

What decided it

The severe shortfall in the Council's five-year housing land supply (1.56-1.77 years) engaged the tilted balance, and the substantial benefits of housing delivery were found to outweigh the moderate harm from conflict with open space policies.

moderate weight to the conflict with policies UOS1.2 and CS8 was outweighed by substantial weight to housing and affordable housing benefits, moderate weight to economic and biodiversity net gain benefits, and significant weight to the realistic fallback position, such that the adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits

Framework references: 11, 57, 58, 103, 104, 117, 187, 211, 216, 232

Plan policies cited: Policy UOS1.2, Policy CS8, Policy H-3, L1.2, SIE-2, SIE-3, SIE-1, T-1, CS9, Policy NE1.3, Core Strategy policy SD-3, Policy SD-6

Judgments cited: Brommel vs Reading BBC and the SoS for Education

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.