Land to the west of The Cottage, Snakes Lane, Ugley Green, CM22 6HW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site is a suitable location for housing having regard to access to services and facilities and the spatial strategy
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The existence of an extant planning permission for three dwellings as a fallback position, which would be equally harmful, combined with the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, outweighed the conflict with the development plan.

Although the proposal conflicts with the development plan as a whole, the fallback position of the extant permission for three dwellings weighs heavily in favour of the appeal, and the Council's lack of five-year housing land supply and the modest additional housing benefit tip the balance in favour of allowing the appeal despite the development plan conflict.