Banktop Farm Bank Top Holiday Cottages, Dilhorne, Stoke-on-Trent, ST10 2PN

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• For Appeal A: Whether the appeal site represents a suitable location for the proposal with regards to the development plan and the National Planning Policy Framework
• For Appeal A: Whether the proposal would provide future occupiers of the dwellings with suitable living conditions
• For Appeal B: Whether the works would preserve the listed buildings, or any features of special architectural or historic interest which they possess, including their settings

What decided it

The conflict with the development plan's settlement hierarchy and spatial distribution strategy, combined with the lack of suitable living conditions and loss of tourism accommodation, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the limited housing benefit under NPPF paragraph 11(d), resulting in dismissal of Appeal A; Appeal B succeeded because no physical works were proposed and the change of use alone would preserve the listed buildings' special interest and significance.

The benefits of adding 3 dwellings to housing supply (limited weight) and reuse of an existing building (limited weight) were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the conflict with the development plan's spatial distribution aims, the unsustainable location requiring reliance on private vehicles (significant weight), lack of suitable living conditions for future occupiers (moderate weight), and loss of tourism accommodation conflicting with the Council's tourism strategy and NPPF paragraph 88 (further weight), resulting in dismissal of Appeal A.