48 Middleton Way, Fen Drayton , Cambridgeshire , CB24 4SU

construction of self-build, eco-friendly 1.5 storey dwelling with detached garage

Authority: South Cambridgeshire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Hickey A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on protected species and biodiversity
the effect of the proposal on flooding
whether the site is a suitable location for residential development, having regard to local and national policy and its accessibility by sustainable modes of transport

What decided it

The proposal conflicts with the development plan on three independent grounds—inadequate ecological survey evidence, unassessed surface water flood risk, and an unsustainable location lacking safe access by sustainable transport modes—and no material considerations of sufficient weight indicate the decision should be taken otherwise.

The limited self-build, housing supply, economic and environmental benefits attracted little to modest weight and were outweighed by the significant harms arising from inadequate ecological information, unmanaged flood risk, and unsustainable location.

Plan policies cited: Policy NH/4, Policy CC/9, Policy H/5, Policy S/2, Policy S/7, Policy TI/2

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.