Land south of Garden Cottage, Fifield Road, Fifield, SL6 2NZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework and any relevant development plan policies
• The effect of the proposal on biodiversity
• Whether the proposed development would make appropriate provision for carbon offsetting and climate change mitigation
• If there is any harm and development plan conflict, whether other material considerations indicate that a decision should be made other than in accordance with the development plan

What decided it

The absence of a five-year housing land supply triggered the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework, which meant that the benefits of housing delivery and support for rural vitality outweighed the conflict with the development plan and the failure to meet the Golden Rules for major development.

The benefits of contributing to housing supply and mix in an area with no five-year supply, supporting rural communities and the economy, and providing biodiversity improvements (each given modest to small weight) outweighed the harms of failing to provide carbon offsetting and climate change mitigation (modest weight), not meeting the Golden Rules for major development (moderate weight), and conflicting with development plan policies (modest weight).