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Planning permission granted20 March 20263374713

Land Adjacent to Duke of Marlborough, Bury Road, Hepworth, Suffolk, IP22 2PX

Planning appeal 3374713 at Land Adjacent to Duke of Marlborough, Bury Road, Hepworth, Suffolk, IP22 2PX (West Suffolk) was allowed on 20 March 2026 by Inspector Pleasant L, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the site is a suitable location for a Gypsy and traveller site having regard to the local and national planning policy concerning sustainable development and the accessibility of the site to local services.

Without planning permission, the change of use of land for the siting of one static home and one touring caravan for residential use, inclusion of a storage container and shed building and the installation of hardstanding

Authority
West Suffolk
Appeal type
enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure
Hearing
Development
caravan-gypsy · Change of use
Inspector
Pleasant L
Postcode
IP22 2PX

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the site is a suitable location for a Gypsy and traveller site having regard to the local and national planning policy concerning sustainable development and the accessibility of the site to local services
  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
  • the effect of the development on The Brecks (Breckland SAC/Breckland SPA)
  • the effect of the development on highway safety, having regard to visibility at the site access
  • the effect of the development on ecology and biodiversity

What decided it

The proposal was found to accord with the development plan as a whole (Policy SP19 criteria) once mitigation for highway safety, ecology, character/appearance and the Breckland SAC/SPA was secured, leaving no policy basis to refuse permission.

having found no conflict with the development plan read as a whole and compliance with the NPPF and PPTS, the limited harm from intentional unauthorised development did not justify refusal, so the balance favoured granting permission

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SP19Policy LP41Policy LP9Policy SP11Policy SP9Policy LP13
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 110

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 West Suffolk

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

  1. Dismissed1 March 20243313634
    Unit 1, Harlequin Business Park, Kenny Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, IP28 8DS
  2. Notice upheld17 April 20233283069
    Land North East of North End Road, North End Road, Exning, Suffolk, CB8 7PD
  3. Allowed6 March 20233306069
    26 Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1UZ
  4. Notice upheld7 February 20223280109
    The Barn, Wickhambrook, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8PY
  5. Notice upheld7 February 20223280106
    The Barn, Wickhambrook, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8PY

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.