Housing project given go-ahead due to council missing target

Eighteen houses on the site of a former electricity substation in an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' in Wiltshire has won approval after an appeal.

The proposal didn't meet the council's development plan as it was outside of the settlement boundary, but given that the council had identified less than three year's of housing land, the planning inspector considered other matters and found that the development would not harm the character and appearance of the area, and would conserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the AONB.

She also identified positive benefits in terms of needed market and affordable housing, and an efficient use of land which would remove fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour at the site. On balance she decided the appeal should be allowed.

This goes to show that good planning applications can be granted even if they do not match development plans, especially if councils are not meeting their housing land supply targets.