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Dismissed15 September 20266006893

Land to East of Bere Hill, Whitchurch, RG28 7EB

Planning appeal 6006893 at Land to East of Bere Hill, Whitchurch, RG28 7EB (Basingstoke and Deane) was dismissed on 15 September 2026 by Inspector H Nicholls, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including the effects on the setting of the NWDNL.

Erection of 115 dwellings (including 40% affordable housing) and associated parking; public house (Use Class Sui Generis), employment units (Use Class E(g)); provision of public open space; installation of sustainable urban drainage system; pumping station; provision of local play areas; soft and hard landscaping; landscape buffer and associated works.

Authority
Basingstoke and Deane
Appeal type
major · Planning
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential
Inspector
H Nicholls
Postcode
RG28 7EB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including the effects on the setting of the NWDNL
  • whether, through scale, layout, density, landscaping and appearance, the proposal would be of an acceptable quality of design

What decided it

The serious harm to landscape character and appearance, including harm to the setting of the NWDNL, combined with the unacceptable quality of design, were found to outweigh the benefits of the scheme.

The substantial benefits of housing delivery, affordable housing and other benefits were outweighed by the substantial harm to landscape character and appearance, the setting of the NWDNL, and poor design quality, such that the proposal conflicted with the development plan and the 2026 Framework.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy EM1Policy EM10Policy SS1Policy SS6Policy GD1
National Planning Policy Framework
Policy N2Policy N4Policy DP3Policy HC4Policy S5
Judgments
Wheatcroft V SSE [1982]; Holborn Studios v CLBH [2017] EWHC 2823

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Basingstoke and Deane

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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  4. Dismissed4 April 20223281924
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  5. Dismissed26 October 20266011048
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.