Land at Sandways Farm, New Road, Bourton, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5BQ

Planning appeal 3365232 at Land at Sandways Farm, New Road, Bourton, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5BQ (Dorset) was allowed on 9 December 2025 by Inspector Rose C, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, with particular regard to the local development strategy and need.

demolition of barns, erection of up to 30 dwellings and provision of site for village hall with parking area, wildlife area, attenuation pond and public open space (outline application to determine access)

Authority: Dorset
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Rose C
Postcode: SP8 5BQ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, with particular regard to the local development strategy and need
the effect of the proposed development on the setting of the designated heritage asset forming Sandways Farmhouse

What decided it

The significant public benefits of the scheme, including housing and affordable housing delivery and the village hall provision, clearly outweighed the less than substantial harm to the setting of the listed Sandways Farmhouse, while the proposal was also found to accord with the development plan.

the less than substantial harm, at the low end of the spectrum, to the setting of Sandways Farmhouse was clearly outweighed by the significant public benefits of the scheme

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: LP Policy 2LP Policy 5LP Policy 6LP Policy 8LP Policy 20NP Policy 2NP Policy 5
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 212Paragraph 215Paragraph 110

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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4 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

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More decisions in Dorset

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.