The Orchard, Uffington Road, Barnack, PE9 3DU

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether safe and convenient access facilities can be provided and if not, the effect on highway safety
• Whether there would be any unacceptable risk to occupiers of the development given the nearby High-Pressure Gas Pipeline and whether the development would have any adverse effect on the Pipeline
• If there is harm, whether this would be outweighed by other material considerations including the need for the development and the personal circumstances of the appellant and other occupiers of the development

What decided it

The substantial harm to highway safety from inadequate visibility splays, combined with significant harm/risk relating to the nearby high-pressure gas pipeline, was found to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the development.

The substantial weight given to highway safety harm and significant weight given to pipeline risk harm significantly and demonstrably outweighed the substantial weight attached to the social benefit of providing Gypsy/Traveller pitches and the moderate weight attached to economic benefits, when assessed against the Framework policies taken as a whole