Blackgates, Rummers Lane, Wisbech St Mary, Cambridgeshire, PE13 4UD

to convert existing barn to 1 x self-build/custom dwelling involving the demolition of existing shed and removal of steel container

Authority: Fenland District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Walker C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal can be adequately secured as a self-build/custom-build dwelling
whether the barn in a countryside location is suitable for conversion to a dwelling, having particular regard to the extent of the proposed addition and its accessibility to local services and amenities

What decided it

The proposal fails to adequately secure the self-build/custom-build status through the defective Unilateral Undertaking, meaning it cannot demonstrate exemption from the statutory biodiversity net gain condition, which weighs more heavily than the scheme's benefits.

Plan policies cited: Policy LP3, Policy LP12, Policy LP2, Policy LP15, Policy LP16

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.

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