Field View Barn, Fishey Lane, West Orchard, SP7 0LQ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
• whether the location is suitable for the form of development having regard to flooding
• whether there are any other material considerations that indicate otherwise that permission should be granted

What decided it

The proposal would cause significant harm to the character and appearance of the area by introducing a dwelling significantly higher than the existing barn and residential activity over a large curtilage in open countryside, which would be materially more harmful than the extant fallback positions and would conflict with the development plan and Framework policies.

While the proposal would provide moderate benefits to flood risk and limited benefits to biodiversity, these benefits do not outweigh the significant harm it would cause to the character and appearance of the area; applying Policy S5 of the Framework, the adverse effects of the development would substantially outweigh the benefits when assessed against the national decision-making policies.