Land to the North of the Old Dairy, Coton House Estate, Rugby, CV23 0UT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for housing, with particular reference to reliance on the private car
• biodiversity and protected species
• the character and appearance of the area, with specific regard to heritage assets

What decided it

The less than substantial harm to the setting and significance of Coton House, a Grade II* listed building, which cannot be outweighed by the housing and economic benefits, combined with the conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy and failure to demonstrate biodiversity net gain, provides a strong reason for refusal under Framework paragraph 11d.

The housing land supply shortfall and modest economic and social benefits were outweighed by the less than substantial harm to the Grade II* listed building's setting and significance, the conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy, and the failure to demonstrate biodiversity net gain; the heritage protection policies provided a strong reason for refusal displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development.