87 Ringwood Road, Poole, BH14 0RH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for residential development taking into consideration the activity and vitality of the existing employment use of the site and the surrounding employment zone
• Whether the proposal would create satisfactory living conditions for future occupiers, with particular regard to the size of accommodation, access to external space and noise, vibration and emissions
• The effect on the integrity of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area (SPA)
• The effect on the integrity of the Poole Harbour SPA

What decided it

The absence of a legal mechanism to secure mitigation for likely significant effects on the Dorset Heathlands SPA and Poole Harbour SPA provides a strong reason to refuse the development under NPPF paragraph 11(d), which outweighs the benefits of housing delivery in a location with insufficient five-year supply.

The benefits of housing delivery and reuse of underutilised land within a sustainable urban location were outweighed by the likely significant adverse effects on protected habitats sites and conflicts with development plan policies on employment land protection and living conditions, with the habitat protection providing a strong reason for refusal under NPPF paragraph 11(d).