Land west of Highfield, Church Lane, Keyingham, HULL, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU12 9SX

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the development would accord with local policies with regard to location
• The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
• The effect of the development on the living conditions of future occupiers
• The effect of the development on highway safety
• The effect of the development on biodiversity and protected species, and protected European sites
• Whether the development would preserve the setting of the Grade I listed St Nicholas church

What decided it

The absence of mitigation for harm to biodiversity and protected species, combined with the failure to secure First Homes delivery and the cumulative harm to character and appearance, highway safety and heritage setting, outweighed the presumption in favour of sustainable development arising from the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

The presumption in favour of sustainable development arising from insufficient housing supply was outweighed by the strong reasons for refusal provided by harm to designated heritage assets and international habitat sites, combined with unmitigated harm to biodiversity, character and appearance, and highway safety, and the failure to secure the affordable housing benefits that would justify the exception site policy.