A planning inspector has upheld Cheshire East’s decision to refuse permission for up to nine affordable homes on land off Plant Lane at Moston, near Sandbach.
Mark Linge had applied for permission in principle for the properties on a vacant 0.35-hectare site in the open countryside.
Cheshire East’s officers turned down the application in October last year saying: “The proposal would not integrate into the rural surrounding context and would have a conspicuous urbanising effect that would fail to respect the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.”
The applicant appealed and the planning inspector agreed with the council’s decision and dismissed the appeal writes local democracy reporter Belinda Ryan.
The decision report, written by a planning appeal officer and signed off by the inspector, AM Nilsson, acknowledged that because the council did not have a five-year housing land supply “the starting point is therefore that permission should be granted unless the adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits”.
The report continued: “The proposed development would result in a small increase in the council’s overall housing number and would generate employment opportunities which would contribute to the local economy.
“When these benefits are combined with the council’s inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, I give these matters moderate weight in favour of the proposed development.
“Even so, the adverse impacts of the proposed development in terms of the harm it would cause in failing to preserve the countryside, undermining the definition and separation of the settlement of Sandbach, as well as eroding the rural character and appearance of the site and the surrounding area attracts significant weight that outweighs the benefits associated with the proposal.”
The appeal was dismissed.
