The Daily Decision Digest: 10 July 2026
Ninety appeals were decided yesterday, allowing permission for up to 43 new dwellings in total — the selected decisions below include an inquiry dismissal for 45 homes despite a serious housing land supply shortfall, hearing decisions on rural employment, traveller accommodation, Class Q/s73 procedure and agricultural/ecology evidence, and written decisions on grey belt, protected landscapes, community facilities and paragraph 11(d).
Basingstoke and Deane: Housing shortfall did not outweigh rural location and character harms
An inquiry appeal for up to 45 dwellings and a flexible workspace/community hub at Ashford Hill was dismissed. The Council accepted a serious five-year housing land supply shortfall of 2.5–3.1 years, but the Inspector found significant harm from reliance on private vehicles in a modest rural settlement, moderate harm to character, heritage and open space provision. (6004355)
East Devon: Employment need outweighed countryside, landscape and heritage conflict
A hearing appeal for an Educatering facility in the countryside near Lympstone was allowed despite conflict with the spatial strategy, harm to the Coastal Preservation Area and lower-end less than substantial heritage harm. The Inspector gave significant weight to the acknowledged employment land shortage, business growth, job creation and educational benefits, and found no preferable available alternative site. (6005764)
Wakefield: Traveller site allowed on grey belt land
A hearing appeal for a two-pitch private gypsy and traveller site near the M62 was allowed. The Inspector found the whole site should be assessed for grey belt purposes, concluded it did not strongly contribute to relevant Green Belt purposes, and held the proposal was not inappropriate development given the unmet need for traveller accommodation; air quality and noise were acceptable subject to mitigation conditions. (6006858)
Mole Valley: Agricultural barn refused on evidence, access and ecology
A hearing appeal for a timber-framed barn for agricultural machinery storage was dismissed. The Inspector found the evidence did not demonstrate a primary agricultural use or a reasonable need for the building, visibility splays could not be secured over third-party land, and insufficient ecological information had been provided in relation to great crested newts and nearby ancient woodland; the decision also confirms the importance of BNG baseline implications when amended red lines are proposed at appeal. (6004810)
Teignbridge: Section 73 used to extend a Class Q conversion route
A hearing appeal concerning a former Class Q barn conversion was allowed. The Inspector found that it was possible to vary a prior approval completion condition under section 73, that the resulting decision would grant a fresh planning permission rather than another prior approval, and that the GPDO Class Q limitations were therefore not determinative; Habitats Regulations mitigation for the Exe Estuary SPA was secured through a post-hearing agreement. (6007086)
West Lancashire: Grey belt PiP allowed despite future flood-risk issue
Permission in principle was granted for 4-7 dwellings at Mere Brow. The Inspector found the Green Belt site to be grey belt and held that future tidal flood risk, arising only in an extreme undefended scenario, was not a strong reason for refusal; with the Council’s housing land supply at 1.86 years, the contribution to housing need was given highly significant weight. (6009373)
South Oxfordshire: Fifty-home scheme dismissed despite housing and affordable housing benefits
An outline appeal for up to 50 homes at Tetsworth was dismissed notwithstanding the Council’s lack of a five-year housing land supply and the substantial benefits of market and affordable housing, including 40% affordable provision secured by obligation. The Inspector found conflict with the spatial strategy for a Smaller Village and considerable character and landscape harm to the rural setting, public rights of way experience and key neighbourhood plan views. (6001448)
Somerset: Public house loss outweighed by housing and brownfield reuse
An appeal for the conversion and partial demolition of a former public house to create one dwelling and four new dwellings was allowed. The Inspector gave great weight to the loss of the community facility and conflict with the local plan, but applied paragraph 11(d) in the context of a 2.84-year housing land supply and found the benefits of five sustainably located homes and reuse of underutilised previously developed land were sufficient; phosphate and bat SAC issues were addressed by conditions and credits. (6004112)
Central Bedfordshire: National Landscape harm prevented grey belt status
An appeal for two dwellings in the Chilterns National Landscape and Green Belt was dismissed. The Inspector found the National Landscape policies provided a strong reason for refusal, so the site did not fall within the grey belt definition; the proposal was also inappropriate development, harmful to openness and not justified by very special circumstances despite the Council’s housing land supply position. (6005439)
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