®Planning appeal decision
59 and 61 Church Road, Willington, BEDFORD, MK44 3PU
the construction of new access driveway, construction of replacement single garage and parking space in rear garden for No 61 Church Road. Demolition of existing garage for access to the rear gardens and construction of 4 no. three bedroom detached houses with single garages, parking spaces, cycle and bin storage on land at 59 and 61 Church Road, Willington
- Authority
- Bedford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Bayliss G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area including the setting and significance of several listed buildings
- Whether or not the proposed development makes adequate provision for woodland planting associated with the Forest of Marston Vale
- Whether or not the proposal makes adequate provision for biodiversity
What decided it
The harm to designated heritage assets, to which great weight must be given, was not outweighed by the limited public benefits, and this provided a strong reason for refusal that disengaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The presumption in favour of sustainable development under paragraph 11d) was disengaged because the harm to designated heritage assets (a matter of particular importance under footnote 7) provided a strong reason for refusal; under the normal planning balance, the limited weight attributed to public benefits (housing supply, location within settlement boundary, local economic and social benefits) was insufficient to outweigh the very significant and permanent harm to heritage assets and character and appearance.
Framework references: 11, 202, 212
Plan policies cited: Policy 28S, Policy 29, Policy 30, Policy 41S, Policy 35S, Policy 36S, Policy 43, Policy W1A
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.