Land Adjacent To The Kings Head Public House, Birdwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL19 3EF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the location of the development is acceptable with regard to the locational strategy of the development plan and accessibility to services
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
• Whether future occupiers would experience satisfactory living conditions, with particular regard to noise
• The effect of the proposal on highway safety

What decided it

The negative factors—conflict with locational policy, lack of practical access to services by non-car modes, harm to character and appearance, and unsatisfactory living conditions due to traffic noise—significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest housing benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.

The modest benefits of delivering four dwellings were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the negative factors of locational conflict, poor accessibility to services by sustainable modes, harm to character and appearance, and unsatisfactory living conditions, resulting in a decision in accordance with the development plan despite the absence of a five-year housing land supply.