245 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, S11 8JE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether a car park use is acceptable in this location having regard to local and national planning policies that promote sustainable transport
• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area including highway safety
• if the development is otherwise acceptable in planning terms whether, having regard to the alternative housing scheme, the unauthorised use should be refused as conflicting with local or national planning policy or other material considerations

What decided it

The existence of an extant, implemented planning permission for housing on the site, combined with the Council's inability to demonstrate five-year housing land supply, created exceptional circumstances where refusal of the car park use would materially assist in progressing the approved housing scheme, whereas permission would provide passive income incentivising continued delay of redevelopment.

the benefits of delivering housing on a brownfield site in a context of insufficient housing land supply outweighed the benefits of continued car park use, particularly given the tenant's financial incentive to delay redevelopment and the Council's active engagement with the landowner to progress the approved scheme