Planning appeal decision
Bickham Farm, Yelverton, Plymouth, PL6 7BJ
Planning appeal 3362548 at Bickham Farm, Yelverton, Plymouth, PL6 7BJ (Dartmoor) was dismissed on 5 August 2025 by Inspector Nicholls H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effects of the proposal on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land.
Proposed siting of an earth bank lined slurry lagoon
- Authority
- Dartmoor
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- agricultural · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Nicholls H
- Postcode
- PL6 7BJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effects of the proposal on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land
- whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the Tamar Valley National Landscape
- the effects of the proposal on the Shaugh Prior Woods SSSI, South Dartmoor Woods SAC, Tamar Tavy Estuary SSSI, Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC and Grenofen Wood and West Down SSSI
- whether the proposal would be served by adequate means of surface water drainage
- whether the proposal would incorporate adequate carbon reduction measures
What decided it
The proposal's failure to conserve and enhance the Tamar Valley National Landscape, its potential to harm the integrity of SACs and SSSIs through unassessed in-combination ammonia effects, and its lack of adequate carbon reduction measures collectively conflicted with the development plan such that the benefits could not outweigh the harm.
the benefits of supporting the farming operation and economic considerations did not outweigh the conflicts with the development plan regarding landscape harm, ecological integrity and carbon reduction
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SPT1(3)(iv)Policy DEV2(6)Policy TTV26(2)(v)Policy TTV26(2)(vi)Policy DEV23Policy DEV25Policy DEV2Policy DEV26Policy DEV32Policy DEV35Policy SP1.1Policy SP1.2
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823; Wheatcroft Ltd v SSE [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
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More decisions in Dartmoor
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed16 July 20253354983Barn Opposite Meavy Barton, Meavy, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6PJ
- Allowed27 January 20253345781Land at Linhay Hill, Ashburton, New Abbot, Devon, TQ13 7UP
- Dismissed11 November 20243329333Primms Cottage, Poundsgate, Newton Abbot, TQ13 7PR
- Dismissed13 September 20243334395Land at Timbers Road, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DW
- Dismissed13 September 20243334393Land at Timbers Road, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DW
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.
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