The application was made in the context of the Council having a substantial shortage of houses and an expired Local Plan. To benefit from this position, we made substantial representations to the Council’s emerging Local Plan on matters of housing need and requirement. The application was refused at a local level and an appeal was made. We continued to communicate closely with the Council and worked to resolve matters including highway provision, ecological mitigation and loss of agricultural land, whilst establishing that there was not a five-year housing land supply in place.

As a result of our actions, there were no matters of dispute between the Council and appellant by the time the Inquiry opened and planning permission was successfully secured. The 120 acre Site is set to provide 320 new homes, of which 128 will be affordable homes, together with a 60-bed extra care facility, a livery for up to 30 horses, new allotments and major new areas of open space. Reserved Matters application has subsequently been approved.