Land Adjacent To Beulah Chapel, Green Bottom Littledean Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 3LH, CINDERFORD, GL14 3LH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the site would be a suitable location for residential development in consideration of local and national policies
• the effect of the proposed development on flood related matters
• the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the proposal on highway safety, with particular regard to the safe use of the means of access
• the effect of the proposed dwelling on the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat sites Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

What decided it

The substantial harm arising from the site's unsuitability as a location for residential development due to its remote location requiring car dependency and its susceptibility to surface flooding without demonstration of sequential preference significantly and demonstrably outweighed the limited benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision.

The adverse impacts on housing strategy, increased car travel, and flood risk significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits of housing delivery, economic benefits during construction, and self-build provision, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.