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Allowed2 July 20266003596

The Laurels Shop, A4136, Staunton (Coleford), GL16 8PA

Planning appeal 6003596 at The Laurels Shop, A4136, Staunton (Coleford), GL16 8PA (Forest of Dean) was allowed on 2 July 2026 by Inspector K Reeves, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether there is sufficient justification for the change of use of the commercial unit to a dwelling, having regard to the provisions of the development plan.

change of use of former antique shop to one dwelling and the operational development necessary to facilitate the change of use including the recladding of the building

Authority
Forest of Dean
Appeal type
minor · Planning
Procedure
Written
Development
residential
Inspector
K Reeves
Postcode
GL16 8PA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether there is sufficient justification for the change of use of the commercial unit to a dwelling, having regard to the provisions of the development plan
  • whether the proposal would provide acceptable living conditions for future occupiers, having regard to noise, privacy and the size of external space

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply triggered the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d), and the significant weight given to housing delivery in a district with a pronounced shortfall outweighed the moderate harm from loss of a small-scale commercial unit that was not demonstrated to be essential to the community.

The significant weight afforded to the delivery of housing, together with the benefits of re-using previously developed land, outweighs the moderate harm associated with the loss of the commercial unit; the adverse impacts would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies of the Framework taken as a whole.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy CSP.7Policy CSP.8Policy CSP.4Policy CSP.5Policy AP.4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11

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 applied

The decision letter

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.