Land Adjoining The Deyne, Littleworth, Amberley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 5AL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the site is in a suitable location, having regard to the Council's strategy for the location of housing and the site's access to services and facilities
• the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including its effect on the Cotswolds National Landscape and the setting of the Amberley Conservation Area
• the effect of the proposal on highway safety with particular regard to access and parking

What decided it

The application of policies in the Framework protecting designated heritage assets, specifically the moderate harm to the significance of the Amberley Conservation Area through its effect on its setting, provided a strong reason for refusing the proposal despite the Council's housing land supply shortfall.

The limited benefits of a single dwelling and modest economic and environmental benefits did not outweigh the substantial harm to the Council's spatial strategy, the moderate harm to the Amberley Conservation Area's setting, the limited harm to the Cotswolds National Landscape, and the unresolved highway safety concerns; the conflict with the development plan taken as a whole was decisive.