Coopers Farm Barn, Bell Lane, Ellisfield, Basingstoke, RG25 2QD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effect of the proposal on the setting of the Grade II listed building, known as Coopers Farmhouse, and Ellisfield Conservation Area
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
• Whether there is sufficient mitigation against the impacts which might arise on the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Areas and Ramsar and Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation

What decided it

The harm to the setting of the Grade II listed building and Ellisfield Conservation Area, assessed as less than substantial but at the moderate end and carrying considerable importance and great weight, was not outweighed by the modest public benefits of a single dwelling.

The benefits of housing delivery and socio-economic benefits from a single dwelling, together with energy efficiency measures and biodiversity net gain, were afforded moderate weight but were insufficient to outweigh the considerable importance and great weight given to the harm to designated heritage assets and the character and appearance of the countryside, particularly given the absence of policy exceptions for development in open countryside outside the settlement boundary.