Land to the South of Hillside/ Land Adjacent to The Orchard, Highclere, Hollington Cross, RG20 9SD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposal is in a suitable location for housing, having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan and access to services
• whether the proposal makes adequate provision for BNG and its monitoring
• the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area including the scenic beauty of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape

What decided it

The adverse impacts of the unsustainable location (requiring private vehicle dependency) and inadequate biodiversity net gain provision significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits of delivering one dwelling.

The significant weight afforded to housing delivery and economic benefits was outweighed by the significant weight given to conflict with sustainable transport policies and biodiversity net gain requirements, resulting in the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighing the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.