Land South of The Gravel, Mere Brow, Tarleton, PR4 6JX

Planning appeal 6009373 at Land South of The Gravel, Mere Brow, Tarleton, PR4 6JX (West Lancashire District Council) was allowed on 10 July 2026 by Inspector David Smith, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is a suitable location for residential development having regard to flood risk.

for a minimum of four and a maximum of seven dwellings

Authority: West Lancashire District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Inspector: David Smith
Postcode: PR4 6JX

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the site is a suitable location for residential development having regard to flood risk
Whether it is on grey belt land
The effect on land resources in the Borough

What decided it

The severe housing land supply shortfall (1.86 years against a five-year requirement) and the compelling contribution of four to seven new homes to addressing the Borough's major housing deficit outweighed the moderate risk of tidal flooding in an extreme undefended scenario.

The substantial housing benefits and contribution to the critical housing supply deficit outweighed the moderate concern regarding potential future tidal flooding in an extreme scenario where flood defences are removed, applying the presumption in favour of sustainable development under paragraph 11(d)(ii) of the Framework.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy GN1Policy GN3Policy EN2Policy RS1 d)
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 143Paragraph 155Paragraph 175Paragraph 181

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

Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

12 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter — Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.

Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app — Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.

Start your free trial

More decisions in West Lancashire District Council

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

Dismissed23 October 20266015067
25 Brookfield Lane, Aughton, Ormskirk, L39 6SN
Allowed13 October 20266013756
6 Moss Lane, Bickerstaffe, L39 0EX
Allowed5 October 20266010014
Land at Heathey Lane, Shirdley Hill, Halsall, West Lancs, L39 8SH
Dismissed30 September 20266004952
Valera Ltd, Plox Brow, Tarleton, PR4 6HB
Allowed24 September 20266007730
Land to the Rear of 137 Station Road, Hesketh Bank, Preston, PR4 6SR

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.