L/A 1 Caldecote Road, Newnham, Baldock, SG7 5JZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed dwelling would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Newnham Conservation Area

What decided it

The removal of the open and sylvan setting at this location would undermine the defining feature of the conservation area—the evolution from tightly knit development at The Green to more spacious layouts at the village fringes—and this heritage harm provides a strong reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework despite the housing land supply shortfall.

The benefits of providing a new dwelling on previously developed land were outweighed by the less than substantial harm at a moderate level to the character and appearance of the Newnham Conservation Area, with heritage protection providing a strong reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework