®Planning appeal decision
Land to the South of 1 Townsend, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5TL
Planning appeal 3354426 at Land to the South of 1 Townsend, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 5TL (Wiltshire Council) was dismissed on 9 April 2025 by Inspector Kent R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings.
a “pair of dwellings
- Authority
- Wiltshire Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Kent R
- Postcode
- SN10 5TL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings
- Whether the proposed dwellings would be in a suitable location having regard to the spatial strategy in the development plan for the distribution of housing, with particular reference to best and most versatile agricultural land
What decided it
The harm caused by conflict with policies to safeguard the character of the countryside and promote sustainable development in rural areas significantly and demonstrably outweighs the moderate benefits of housing delivery and economic gain when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
The moderate benefit of providing two additional dwellings and moderate economic benefit were outweighed by the moderate harm to character and appearance, limited harm from loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, and moderate harm to the settlement strategy, with the conflict with countryside safeguard and sustainable development policies carrying substantial weight despite the Council's shortfall in housing land supply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Core Policy 1 (Settlement Strategy)Core Policy 2 (Delivery Strategy)Core Policy 12 (Devizes Area Strategy)Core Policy 51 (Landscape)Core Policy 57 (Ensuring high quality design and place shaping)Core Policy 60 (Sustainable transport)Core Policy 61 (Transport and new development)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 187Paragraph 232
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.