Land To The North And South Of The A533 The Hill, Sandbach, CW11 2WE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the location, nature and scale of the proposal would be acceptable in a countryside location having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan and the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the proposal on the settings of Grade II listed buildings, known as The Hill, Oakley House and Oakley Coach House
• whether the proposal would minimise ecological impacts and provide net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species
• whether the proposal would place unreasonable burdens, as an agent of change, on a specialised care home (LCD) for people with physical and learning impairments
• If there is less than substantial harm caused to a heritage asset, whether this would be outweighed by public benefits
• If there is a conflict with the development plan, when taken as a whole, whether such conflict is outweighed by other material planning considerations

What decided it

The absence of a five-year housing land supply, engaging the tilted balance, meant the substantial weight attached to housing delivery and affordable housing outweighed the limited/moderate identified harms including the less than substantial heritage harm.

The limited conflict with settlement strategy, moderate harm to character and appearance, less than substantial heritage harm at the lower end of the spectrum, and limited BMVAL loss were outweighed by the substantial and significant benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing, accessible homes and other benefits, so permission was granted under the tilted balance.