2nd September 2014
Residential scheme on North Somerset green belt secures planning consent on appeal
Alder King Planning Consultants have secured planning permission on appeal for an outline residential scheme on a mixed use site in the Green Belt in North Somerset.
The site was confirmed as previously developed land following the grant of a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use and Development secured by Alder King in August 2013.
The Inspector decided that the proposal would not represent inappropriate development in the green belt. He agreed that the proposal would not damage the range or quality of employment units in the district and that on balance the location was sustainable.
The Inspector put weight on the provision of housing given North Somerset Council’s lack of a demonstrable five year housing supply in the context of out of date, absent policy following a successful High Court Challenge to the Council’s Core Strategy by Alder King on behalf of the University of Bristol in March 2013. The Inspector also put weight on the opportunity to improve the landscape and visual amenity of the site.
The decision demonstrates that considerable weight should be put on boosting the supply of housing and confirms that the planning balance should be based on a rounded approach, taking into account all aspects of the scheme in terms of its compliance with Framework principles, especially the three stands that together make up what the Framework considers sustainable development.