Homes plans again refused after inspector backs 'open countryside' decision

Shropshire Council planners threw out a proposed development for land at Clubhouse Farm off Church Street, near Hinstock, in November last year, having ruled that the outline scheme was outside the village's development boundary and did not meet the exceptional circumstances required to allow building in open countryside.

The scheme was a resubmission of earlier plans to build up to seven properties on the plot, which were also refused in 2022 due to the council deciding the site was in open countryside, and that seven properties would represent an unacceptably “cramped” development.

However applicants Goulden Simpson said the revised scheme had gone “above and beyond” to address concerns with the previous application, including an objection from Hinstock Parish Council about the proximity of the development to a nature reserve.

However, Planning Inspector Stephen Normington said that while the development could not be considered “truly isolated” due to its proximity to other properties on Church Street, its location would be classed as a development in open countryside.

“The proposal would predominantly be located in the open countryside and no exceptions or evidenced housing need have been identified which would justify development in this location,” he said in his report.

“Whilst I recognise that the number of residential units has been reduced from the previous proposal, the development of four units would still result in the unacceptable incursion of built development into the open countryside. This would significantly alter the appearance and the contribution that the appeal site makes to the rural character of the area.

“The proposal would have a detrimental urbanising effect on this part of the countryside and would result in a separated cluster of development that would have no visibility from, or interaction with, Church Street.”

Mr Normington said that the development would not affect the setting of the Grade II-listed St Oswald’s Church and added that the planning authority had not conclusively demonstrated that the proposal would cause harm to a nearby Great Crested Newt habitat, one of the earlier reasons for refusal.

But he added that due to the number of development sites already brought forward in Hinstock, he did not consider that the appeal site would be required to meet the village’s required housing supply.

“While housing requirements [for Hinstock] may be a minimum, they appear to have been significantly surpassed and there is no apparent overriding need for additional windfall development outside the defined settlement boundary to meet any housing supply requirements,” he added.

“There are no material considerations, either individually or in combination, that would outweigh the identified harm and associated conflict with the Development Plan when read as a whole.

“Taking into account the evidence before me and all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should be dismissed.”