Land to the Rear of 49, Etchinghill Road, Rugeley, Staffs, WS15 2LW

residential development comprising of 1 or 2 dwellings

Authority: Cannock Chase District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Barton P

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the site is suitable for residential development, having regard to its location, the proposed land use and the amount of development, with particular regard to whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt
the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including the Cannock Chase National Landscape and the effect on protected trees
whether other considerations clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm so as to amount to very special circumstances

What decided it

The substantial harm to the openness of the Green Belt and the unacceptable effect on the character and appearance of the area, including the National Landscape, are not clearly outweighed by other considerations, and very special circumstances do not exist.

The substantial weight given to harm to the Green Belt and harm to character and appearance of the area and National Landscape outweighed the limited weight afforded to housing delivery and economic benefits, resulting in dismissal.

Framework references: 11, 153, 154, 155

Plan policies cited: CCDLP Policy SO7.6, CCDLP Policy SO1.2, CCDLP Policy SO7.4, CCDLP Policy SO7.5

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

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