®Planning appeal decision
The Lodge Stables, Hoggington Lane, Southwick, Trowbridge, BA14 9NR
Planning appeal 3360207 at The Lodge Stables, Hoggington Lane, Southwick, Trowbridge, BA14 9NR (Wiltshire Council) was allowed on 12 August 2025 by Inspector Worley E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Appeal A: whether there is an essential need for the dwelling to accommodate a rural worker.
the conversion and alterations to stables to provide replacement dwelling for equestrian site manager/owner. Provision of new internal stable stalls and relocation of current indoor horse walker
- Authority
- Wiltshire Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Worley E
- Postcode
- BA14 9NR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Appeal A: whether there is an essential need for the dwelling to accommodate a rural worker
- Appeal A: whether the building is structurally sound and capable of conversion without major rebuilding
- Appeal B: whether the occupancy condition on The Lodge is necessary and reasonable, having regard to the development plan
- Both appeals: whether there are any other material considerations that might weigh in favour of the proposals
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply triggered the presumption in favour of sustainable development under NPPF paragraph 11, which, when the two proposals were considered together as a combined scheme, outweighed the conflict with the development plan.
The proposals conflict with the development plan but benefit from the presumption in favour of sustainable development under NPPF paragraph 11; the adverse impacts of releasing The Lodge to the open market and increasing car trips do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the limited benefit of contributing one additional family-sized unit to housing supply, and permission should therefore be granted.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Core Policy 48 of the Wiltshire Core StrategyCore Policy 1 of the Wiltshire Core StrategyCore Policy 2 of the Wiltshire Core StrategyCore Policy 29 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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.