®Planning appeal decision
The Old Rectory, Mill Lane, Gratwich, ST14 8SE
Planning appeal 6010763 at The Old Rectory, Mill Lane, Gratwich, ST14 8SE (East Staffordshire) was dismissed on 7 September 2026 by Inspector P Barton, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would accord with the strategy of the Development Plan for new development in the open countryside.
An agricultural building comprising a U-shaped structure with a main linear section for dry storage of hay and haylage bales, three sets of timber barn doors, and smaller perpendicular wings for machinery storage
- Authority
- East Staffordshire
- Appeal type
- Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- agricultural
- Inspector
- P Barton
- Postcode
- ST14 8SE
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would accord with the strategy of the Development Plan for new development in the open countryside
- whether the proposed development would make adequate provision for Biodiversity Net Gain
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The proposed building's functional inadequacy for its intended agricultural purposes, particularly the insufficient storage space for hay and machinery and inadequate ventilation, meant it would not be essential to the support and viability of the agricultural business as required by Policy SP8.
the benefits of the proposal were substantially outweighed by the adverse effects of the building's functional shortcomings when assessed against national decision-making policies in the Framework, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP8Policy DP1Policy SP14Policy SP29
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Policy E2Policy E4Policy S5
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 appliedThe 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.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.