132 Devonport Road, Plymouth, PL1 5RF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, in particular a designated Conservation Area
• whether the development would secure an acceptable standard of accommodation for future occupiers
• whether the proposed development would result in a harmful loss of car parking and impact on highway safety

What decided it

The less than substantial but high-level harm to the significance of the Stoke Conservation Area, to which considerable importance and weight must be attached, was not outweighed by the limited public benefits of a single dwelling and short-term employment, and the NPPF's heritage protection policies provided a strong reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d)(i).

The benefits of housing delivery and short-term construction employment were accorded limited weight and were insufficient to outweigh the high-level harm to the designated heritage asset, with the heritage protection policies providing a strong reason for refusal that displaced the presumption in favour of sustainable development.