®Planning appeal decision
Land Opposite 162 and N of 1 & 2 Gambles Terrace, School Road, Terrington St John, Norfolk, PE14 7SG
Planning appeal 3375160 at Land Opposite 162 and N of 1 & 2 Gambles Terrace, School Road, Terrington St John, Norfolk, PE14 7SG (King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council) was dismissed on 30 January 2026 by Inspector Gee R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the site is an appropriate location for housing, having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan and character and appearance.
self-build plots
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Gee R
- Postcode
- PE14 7SG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site is an appropriate location for housing, having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan and character and appearance
- whether a satisfactory access can be achieved
- whether the scheme is acceptable in respect of flood risk
What decided it
The proposal fails to satisfy part a) of the flood risk exception test as it would not provide wider sustainability benefits to the community that outweigh the flood risk, combined with material harm to character and appearance and conflict with the spatial strategy.
The benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision were outweighed by the material harm to character and appearance, conflict with the spatial strategy, and failure to satisfy the flood risk exception test; the tilted balance did not apply as flood risk policies provided a strong reason for refusal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy LP01Policy LP02Policy LP13Policy LP18Policy LP21Policy LP25Policy 1: Village Development Boundary (Terrington St John Neighbourhood Plan)Policies CS10 and CS13 (Core Strategy)
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 179
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin); Bernard Wheatcroft Ltd v SSE [JPL 1982 P37]; Braintree DC v SSCLG, Greyread Ltd & Granville Developments Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 610
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
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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.