®Planning appeal decision
66 Bath Road, Wells, BA5 3LQ
change of use and partial demolition of existing building to form a single dwelling together with the erection of four new dwellings
- Authority
- Somerset Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Postcode
- BA5 3LQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the development on the provision of community facilities in the area
- highway safety
- the integrity of the Somerset levels and moors Ramsar site, the Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Area, and the North Somerset and Mendip Bat Special Area of Conservation
- whether material considerations indicate that a decision should be made other than in accordance with the development plan
What decided it
The shortfall in housing land supply (2.84 years) engaged the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d), and the significant benefits of housing delivery and brownfield reuse on a sustainable site outweighed the substantial harm from loss of the community facility.
The great weight attributed to the harm from loss of the public house and conflict with policy DP17 was outweighed by the significant weight given to housing delivery benefits, substantial weight to brownfield reuse within a settlement, and the application of the presumption in favour of sustainable development under NPPF paragraph 11(d) due to the shortfall in housing land supply.
Framework references: 11, 56, 197
Plan policies cited: Policy DP17, Policy DP9, Policy DP10, Policy DP5, Policy DP6, Policy DP7
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.