21 Western Elms Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 2AL

construction of three town houses

Authority: Reading Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Astley-Serougi B

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the development on the ecological value of the site
whether the proposal makes an adequate contribution towards the provision of affordable housing

What decided it

The appellant's failure to adequately demonstrate the baseline biodiversity value of the site prior to unauthorised clearances and levelling, and consequently the inability to verify that on-site mitigation was possible or that affordable housing contributions were properly calculated, meant the proposal conflicted with the development plan with no material considerations to indicate otherwise.

Framework references: 57

Plan policies cited: Policy EN12, Policy H11, Policy EN14, Policy H3, Policy CC9

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.

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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.
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