®Planning appeal decision
Land at Picken End, Hanley Swan, WR8 0DH
Planning appeal 3364189 at Land at Picken End, Hanley Swan, WR8 0DH (Malvern Hills District Council) was allowed on 19 September 2025 by Inspector Smith A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to the effect upon the settings and thereby the significance and special interest of relevant designated heritage assets.
construction of 14 affordable dwellings comprising 4 x 1 bed, 4 x 2 bed and 6 x 3 bed houses with associated access, parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Malvern Hills District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to the effect upon the settings and thereby the significance and special interest of relevant designated heritage assets
What decided it
The very significant public benefits of delivering 14 affordable housing units in a district with a critical shortfall in five-year housing supply outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm and limited landscape harm.
The less than substantial harm to the heritage significance of Quakers Farmhouse and Cherry Tree Cottage, and limited harm to character and appearance, were outweighed by the very significant public benefits of housing delivery (particularly 100% affordable housing) in a district with only 2.06 years' housing supply, job creation, and increased household spending, applying the presumption in favour of sustainable development
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy MnGr7Policy MnGr2Policy MnGr3Policy MnGr5Policy RE1Policy RE3Policy Des1Policy SWDP6Policy SWDP15Policy SWDP21Policy SWDP24Policy SWDP39
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 14
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
More decisions in Malvern Hills
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Allowed13 October 20266014393The Laurels, Kerswell Green, Worcester, WR5 3PE
- Dismissed8 October 20266007831Vaughan Lodge, 192-198 Wells Road, Malvern, WR14 4HB
- Dismissed18 September 20266010196Land At (Os 7540 6621), Stourport Road, Great Witley, WR6 6JP
- Allowed11 September 20266010973Cedars Farm, Broadwas, Worcester, WR6 5NE
- Dismissed24 July 20266007092Land At (Os 5947 6754), Bromyard Road, Tenbury Wells, WR15 8DJ
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.