®Planning appeal decision
Land Between 39 and 79 Earlswood Road, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands, B93 8RD
Planning appeal 6000911 at Land Between 39 and 79 Earlswood Road, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands, B93 8RD (Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) was allowed on 4 February 2026 by Inspector Billings C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use and the amount of development, with particular regard to the quantum of development proposed.
permission in principle for the provision of up to 5 self and custom- build plots/dwellings
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Billings C
- Postcode
- B93 8RD
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, land use and the amount of development, with particular regard to the quantum of development proposed
- Whether the appeal site is grey belt land and whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and relevant development plan policies, including the effect of the proposal on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- The effect of the proposal on the Earlswood Meadow Local Wildlife Site in particular regard to biodiversity
- The effect on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, including the Local Wildlife Site
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply (2.13 years) triggered the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework, such that the significant benefits of delivering up to five additional dwellings outweighed the conflict with development plan policies on character and appearance.
The significant benefits of housing delivery, supporting the Government's objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, together with other positive benefits of the scheme, outweighed the adverse impacts arising from conflict with Policies P10 and P15 of the Local Plan and Policies VC1 and D1 of the Neighbourhood Plan regarding character and appearance, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy P7Policy P10Policy P15Policy P17Policy VC1Policy D1Policy VC5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 143Paragraph 155
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.