®Planning appeal decision
Land at Lower Broad Oak Road, West Hill, EX11 1XH
Planning appeal 3357250 at Land at Lower Broad Oak Road, West Hill, EX11 1XH (East Devon District Council) was allowed on 11 August 2025 by Inspector Nicholls H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the location of the development accords with the development plan in terms of accessibility to facilities and reducing the need to travel.
outline planning application for the construction of 5 no. dwellings, with all matters reserved
- Authority
- East Devon District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Nicholls H
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the location of the development accords with the development plan in terms of accessibility to facilities and reducing the need to travel
- the effects of the proposal on species and habitats
- the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including on a locally valued view
What decided it
The absence of a five-year housing land supply, combined with the modest but valuable contribution of five dwellings and the ability to mitigate ecological and landscape impacts through conditions, meant the presumption in favour of sustainable development indicated permission should be granted despite conflict with the development plan.
The adverse impacts of harm to character, appearance and loss of a locally valued view were outweighed by the benefits of delivering five dwellings to address the housing supply shortage, with the presumption in favour of sustainable development tipping the balance in favour of permission.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Strategy 1Strategy 5BStrategy 7Strategy 27Strategy 47Policy TC2Policy D1Policy EN5Policy EN14Policy NP1Policy NP3Policy NP6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 110
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in East Devon
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Allowed29 October 20266012451Land Adjacent Sea Mist, Road From Three Horse Shoes to Norman Grave, Branscombe, EX12 3BR
- Dismissed21 October 20266010705Stamps Building, King Street, Honiton, EX14 1AF
- Allowed19 October 202660076221 Jennings Gardens, Tithebarn, Exeter, EX1 4BL
- Dismissed7 October 20266013380Land Sout of Courtlands Lane, Exmouth, EX8 3NZ
- Dismissed7 October 20266003095Land at Newlands Farm, Land North West of B3165, Axminster, EX13 5SF
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.