Ashdown Farm, Maidenhead Road, Hurst, Berkshire, RG40 5RR

erection of 1 no. dwelling and detached garage. Permission is also sought for the change of use of land from the keeping of horses to mixed use keeping of horses and residential

Authority: Wokingham Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Willis S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
Whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development with regard to the local development strategy and accessibility to services and facilities

What decided it

The significant harm to character and appearance and the moderate conflict with sustainable transport and development strategy policies substantially and demonstrably outweigh the small benefits of a single dwelling in an area with housing shortfall.

The adverse impacts of the development, comprising significant harm to character and appearance and moderate conflict with sustainable transport and development strategy, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the small benefits of housing supply and economic/social benefits from a single dwelling, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy CP1, Policy CP2, Policy CP3, Policy CP6, Policy CP11, Policy CC02, Policy CC03, Policy TB21

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.

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.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.