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Allowed11 February 20263369937

Land West of Longwood Lane , Walsall , WS5 3AS

Planning appeal 3369937 at Land West of Longwood Lane , Walsall , WS5 3AS (Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council) was allowed on 11 February 2026 by Inspector Gilbert-Wooldridge T, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on biodiversity, species and habitats, including the Wood End Farm Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC).

for up to 115 dwellings with all matters reserved except for access position onto Longwood Lane, comprising of a mix of market and affordable dwellings, green infrastructure, and associated facilitating works

Authority
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Appeal type
other · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Unknown
Inspector
Gilbert-Wooldridge T

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal on biodiversity, species and habitats, including the Wood End Farm Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC)
  • The effect of the proposal on trees, including ancient and veteran specimens
  • The effect of the proposal on highway safety and capacity, including on the junction between Longwood Lane and Sutton Road
  • The extent of the shortfall in the Council's 5 year housing land supply
  • Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, having particular regard to paragraph 155 of the NPPF and any relevant development plan policies
  • The overall planning balance, having regard to any relevant material considerations including any proposed benefits

What decided it

The tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d)(ii), triggered by the substantial shortfall in the Council's housing land supply, meant the benefits of housing delivery and Golden Rules compliance outweighed the identified biodiversity and tree harms.

Very significant weight for the delivery of 115 dwellings and significant weight for compliance with the Golden Rules, together with moderate weight for economic, ecological and play space benefits, outweighed the significant harm to biodiversity and moderate harm to trees, such that the adverse impacts did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits under NPPF paragraph 11(d)(ii).

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
CS Policy ENV1CS Policy ENV2CS Policy ENV3UDP Policy ENV18UDP Policy ENV23UDP Policy ENV24SAD Policy EN1SAD Policy GB1CS Policy CSP2CS Policy TRAN2SAD Policy T4CS Policy HOU3CS Policy HOU5CS Policy DEL1UDP Policy GP3UDP Policy LC1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 58Paragraph 109Paragraph 110Paragraph 115Paragraph 116Paragraph 142Paragraph 143Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 156Paragraph 157Paragraph 158Paragraph 187Paragraph 192Paragraph 193Paragraph 194

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Walsall

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.