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Dismissed17 September 20253362265

Bristol Road, Wraxall, BS48 1NE

Planning appeal 3362265 at Bristol Road, Wraxall, BS48 1NE (North Somerset Council) was dismissed on 17 September 2025 by Inspector Jones M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, with particular regard to highway safety and the proximity of services and facilities.

Installation of a novel hydro turbine and the provision of 3no. gypsy/traveller pitches

Authority
North Somerset Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
gypsy-gypsy · Minor traveller and caravan pitches
Inspector
Jones M
Postcode
BS48 1NE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether or not the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, with particular regard to highway safety and the proximity of services and facilities
  • the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
  • the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
  • the effect of the proposal on biodiversity, with reference to protected species
  • whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The combination of unacceptable highway safety harm at the access and insufficient evidence to rule out unacceptable effects on protected bat species meant the very special circumstances necessary to justify inappropriate Green Belt development did not exist.

The significant weight given to unmet need for gypsy and traveller pitches (114 pitches needed by 2042, with only 44 proposed in the emerging Local Plan) and the appellant's personal circumstances, together with moderate weight for renewable energy benefits, biodiversity net gain, and high quality living conditions, did not clearly outweigh the substantial weight given to inappropriate Green Belt development, the limited harm to openness, and the unacceptable harm to protected species.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy E of the Planning Policy for Travellers SitesPolicy CS18 of the Core StrategyPolicy DM24 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1Policy CS6 of the Core StrategyPolicy DM12 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1Policy CS4 of the Core StrategyPolicy DM8 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1Policy CS5 of the Core StrategyPolicy DM10 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1Policy DM32 of the Development Management Policies Sites and Policies Plan Part 1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 13Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 155

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.

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The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.