Choices Farm , Village Road, Taunton, TA3 6TW

‘Change of use from an Agricultural to Use Class B1/B8.’

Authority: Somerset Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: employment-industrial · Change of use
Inspector: Sutton A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for the proposed use, having regard to spatial policies of the development plan

What decided it

The proposal would result in a significant harmful encroachment on the rural character of the area through the commercial appearance of the building and the scale and type of industrial activity it would generate, which would be incongruous in this countryside setting and contrary to the development plan's spatial vision for rural areas.

Framework references: 88, 89

Plan policies cited: Policy DM1, Policy SP1, Policy SP4, Policy SB1, Policy DM2, Policy CP1, Policy CP8, Policy CP6, Policy SD1

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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.
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- 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.
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