®Planning appeal decision
207-217 Copnor Road, Portsmouth, PO3 5BY
Planning appeal 3374570 at 207-217 Copnor Road, Portsmouth, PO3 5BY (Portsmouth City Council) was dismissed on 9 April 2026 by Inspector Aqbal M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.
the demolition of the existing builders merchants (Class E) and the erection of a Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 storey residential development to provide 25 Self-contained residential dwellings (Class C3). Including a scheme of hard and soft landscaping, associated refuse and recycling facilities and car parking
- Authority
- Portsmouth City Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Aqbal M
- Postcode
- PO3 5BY
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the proposal would harm the living conditions of neighbours as a consequence of any parking stress
- Whether the development would be likely to have a significant effect on the integrity of the Solent Marine European Sites
What decided it
The absence of secured, defined and deliverable nutrient-neutrality mitigation credits to address nitrogen loading impacts on the Solent European sites, which cannot be reconciled with the calculated nitrogen load and leaves the competent authority unable to conclude with certainty that adverse effects on site integrity would be avoided, as required by the Habitats Regulations.
The planning balance under section 38(6) did not fall to be considered because the strict legal threshold imposed by the Habitats Regulations—requiring certainty that no adverse effect on site integrity would arise—was not met; the benefits of housing delivery, brownfield regeneration and high-quality design could not override the regulatory bar.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy PCS23Policy PCS13
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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 appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.