®Planning appeal decision
Land between 43 and 79 The Causeway, Isleham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5TA
up to 49 affordable dwellings to include public open space, landscaping, access and associated works. Approval sought for vehicular access to Sun Street only at this stage with layout, landscaping, scale and appearance as reserved matters
- Authority
- East Cambridgeshire District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Hanna P
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal is in a suitable location with regard to local and national policies on affordable housing
- whether occupiers of the proposed development would have reasonable access to education, employment, retail and public transport services
- the effect of the proposal on biodiversity, protected species and habitats, including veteran trees
- whether the proposed development would be at risk of flooding or increase the risk of flooding elsewhere, including with regard to the sequential test
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area, with particular regard to provision of blue and green infrastructure
What decided it
The Inspector's finding that the site's constrained developable area could not be shown to accommodate the maximum quantum of 49 dwellings alongside biodiversity net gain, protected species mitigation and veteran tree protection, resulting in significant harm to ecology and to character and appearance.
Significant harm to protected species/habitats and to character and appearance was not outweighed by the significant benefit of affordable housing delivery together with moderate, limited and neutral benefits, so the balance tipped against the proposal.
Framework references: 181, 58
Plan policies cited: Policy HOU 4, Policy 1a, Policy GROWTH 5, Policy COM7, Policy 8, Policy ENV1, Policy ENV7, Policy 7, Policy ENV8, Policy ENV2, Policy 3, Policy GROWTH3
Judgments cited: The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, R (On the Application Of) v Harborough District Council [2023] EWHC 263 (Admin)
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.