Land Adjacent Lovedays Farmhouse, Baughurst Road, Tadley, RG26 5SS

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the appeal site is a suitable location for housing with specific regard to the Council's spatial strategy and access to facilities and services
• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
• whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to surface water flood risk

What decided it

The proposal fails the sequential test for flood risk and causes harm to the setting of a National Landscape, triggering the Framework's protection for assets of particular importance, which provides a strong reason for refusal that outweighs the moderate benefits of housing delivery.

The moderate benefits of delivering a single dwelling in an area with substantial housing shortfall were outweighed by the conflicts with spatial strategy policies (given reduced weight due to out-of-date status), the modest harm to character and appearance, and the failure to satisfy the sequential test for flood risk combined with harm to the National Landscape setting, which engaged the Framework's protective policies and displaced the presumption in favour of sustainable development.