®Planning appeal decision
The Folly, West End Gardens, Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4JB
Planning appeal 3360024 at The Folly, West End Gardens, Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4JB (Cotswold District Council) was dismissed on 4 November 2025 by Inspector McDonagh C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.
‘demolition of existing house / outbuildings and erection of 7 new houses and associated garages.’
- Authority
- Cotswold District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- McDonagh C
- Postcode
- GL7 4JB
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the proposal would provide suitable living conditions for existing residents and future users
- Whether a biodiversity net gain of at least 10% can be achieved
- Whether an affordable housing contribution is required
- Whether a safe and suitable vehicular access can be achieved
What decided it
The significant harm to character and appearance, combined with inadequate living conditions for future and existing residents and failure to secure biodiversity net gain, substantially and demonstrably outweighed the limited housing benefits when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.
The benefits of 7 dwellings and limited construction and local economic benefits were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by harm to character and appearance, unsuitable living conditions, and failure to secure biodiversity net gain, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole under paragraph 11(d)
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- EN1EN2EN4FNP12H2INF4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 135Paragraph 232Paragraph 65Paragraph 115Paragraph 11
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney (2018); Bernard Wheatcroft v Secretary of State for the Environment (1982)
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
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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.