Land East of Rede Road, Whepstead, Suffolk

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed development would be in an appropriate location for new housing with particular regard to the spatial strategy in the development plan, accessibility to services and facilities, and its effect on the character and appearance of the area
• The effect of the proposed development on the safety of highway users in Rede Road, with particular regard to visibility
• The effect of the proposed development on Great Crested Newts (GCN)

What decided it

The significant harm to the rural character and appearance of the area and the landscape setting of the village, combined with the location outside the settlement boundary contrary to the spatial strategy, outweighed the modest benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision.

The modest benefits of housing supply, economic benefits and potential self-build provision were outweighed by the significant harm to character and appearance and conflict with the development plan spatial strategy; the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.