®Planning appeal decision
Pitt Manor Romsey Road, WINCHESTER, SO22 5PR
demolition of all buildings, and the construction of 48 dwellings, formation of a new access onto Kilham Lane, provision of landscaping, public open space and drainage (phased development)
- Authority
- Winchester City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Thandi B
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether affordable housing on-site is required to make the scheme acceptable in planning terms
- Biodiversity Net Gain
- The effect of the proposed development upon the integrity of the Solent Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
What decided it
The failure to demonstrate that the proposed development would achieve nutrient neutrality and secure biodiversity net gain, with no legal agreements in place to secure off-site mitigation, meant the scheme conflicted with the development plan and could not proceed even under the tilted balance.
The harm to habitats sites and biodiversity conflicts with the development plan and provides a strong reason for refusal under NPPF paragraph 11(d), displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development; even if the tilted balance applied, the harm would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing delivery.
Framework references: 49, 50, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy CP3, Policy CP15, Policy CP16, Policy H6
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.