Out-Law News 1 min. read
10 Feb 2015, 4:51 pm
Developer Wates Developments applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in November 2013 for permission to build a development of 60 houses and 10 apartments on fields in the village of Worting, near Basingstoke.
The Council refused the application in April 2014. In a decision letter dated 26 January (27-page / 228 KB PDF), planning inspector Brendan Lyons allowed an appeal against the Council's decision and granted planning permission for the proposed scheme.
The inspector noted that there was a "significant and serious" shortfall in housing supply in the area and said the need for additional housing to boost the supply was "a matter of significant weight in the determination of the appeal".
Lyons accepted that "the small size and compact form of the village add to its distinctive character" and that the addition of 70 new homes to Worting would "inevitably impact on its character". He noted that 20% of the area of the development site would lie within the Worting conservation area and would have a "moderately adverse effect on [its] character and appearance".
However, the inspector disagreed with the Council and English Heritage that "the proposal would result in substantial harm to the significance of the [Worting] conservation area". Lyons noted that features of the conservation area, including "the key relationships between core historic buildings" and the "distinction between new and old", would be preserved under the plans and "the field to be developed within the conservation area would remain largely open". While the setting of the conservation area would be "harmed to an extent", Lyons concluded that this harm "would fall within the 'less than substantial' category".
The inspector also found that the harm to the significance of the listed Worting House and Worting Farm would be "considerably less than substantial".
Overall, the inspector was satisfied that "even allowing for the considerable weight to heritage harm … the adverse impacts of the proposed development would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits". He considered the provision of 70 homes in an area with a significant housing land shortfall to be "a very significant benefit" and gave further weight to the delivery of 28 affordable homes under the scheme.
Also weighing in favour of granting permission were the benefits of providing a village green, open space and a small car park under the scheme; its economic benefits; its accessibility; and the reduction in congestion that would result from the proposed provision of a new roundabout.