®Planning appeal decision
Land Off Andover Drove, Wash Water, Newbury, Berks, RG20 0LZ
Planning appeal 3359765 at Land Off Andover Drove, Wash Water, Newbury, Berks, RG20 0LZ (West Berkshire District Council) was dismissed on 7 July 2025 by Inspector Evans L, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed site would be an appropriate location for residential development, with particular regard to the Council's spatial strategy.
erection of two dwellings with associated parking and landscaping
- Authority
- West Berkshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Evans L
- Postcode
- RG20 0LZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed site would be an appropriate location for residential development, with particular regard to the Council's spatial strategy
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area
What decided it
The proposal conflicts with the development plan's spatial strategy by locating residential development outside the settlement boundary in open countryside, and this conflict with an up-to-date plan cannot be outweighed by the modest benefits of two additional houses.
The modest benefits of housing provision, tree protection and biodiversity net gain do not outweigh the harm from conflict with the spatial strategy and detrimental impact on rural character and appearance, with the tilted balance not engaged under an up-to-date development plan
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP1Policy SP3Policy SP12Policy DM1Policy DM2Policy SP7Policy SP8
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 12
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 West Berkshire
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Allowed9 October 20266011720Birchwood House, Kiln Ride, Upper Basildon, Reading, RG8 8TA
- Allowed7 October 20266009778Middlewood House, Carbinswood Lane, Woolhampton, RG7 5TS
- Allowed29 September 20266012621Land South of Sandhill, Hampstead Norreys Road, Hermitage, Thatcham, RG18 9XU
- Dismissed28 September 2026600935976 Mallard Way, Aldermaston, Reading, RG7 4US
- Allowed9 September 20266011886Land South Of The Rancher, Manor Farm Lane, Reading, RG8 8EX
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.