Housing Appeal Success in West Cornwall

Laurence Associates were recently successful at appeal for an affordable housing led development for up to 9 dwellings in West Cornwall.

The application was recommended for approval by the officer but refused by Cornwall Council’s West Sub-Area planning committee on the basis that the proposal would alter the settlement pattern of the area and would also have a detrimental effect on the World Heritage site.

Between the time of the decision and the submission of the appeal, the Council’s housing numbers increased significantly, and the land supply position changed in the County. This was an important shift but to able to make use of this argument we had to confirm to the Inspector that any impact on the World Heritage Site would be limited and that this would be outweighed by the benefits of the proposal. We also provided an analysis of the housing numbers providing evidence of the very low delivery of affordable housing over a 10-year period.

As part of the preparation of the appeal, we carefully explained the relationship of the site with the physical form of the settlement, submitting the indicative plan and showing how the site could be landscaped to provide generous landscaped buffers to the site.

We commissioned Statement Heritage to provide a heritage appeal statement to rebut the Council’s comments and stressed the importance of providing much needed housing as a crucial public benefit of the proposal.

We also instructed Stephens Scown solicitors to prepare a section 106 agreement which was submitted with the appeal to secure the details of the affordable housing as well as public open space provision.

The Inspector, in granting the appeal, agreed that whilst there was some conflict with the development plan due to the location of the site, any impacts on the world Heritage site were outweighed by the public benefits of the proposal, which largely related to the delivery of much needed housing during a housing crisis, but also included wider economic and social benefits.

Sometimes an appeal is the only remaining option for a project. At LA we are experts in the preparation of all types of appeal and will make the strongest possible case to secure success. As in this case, careful attention to detail to rebut each of the LPA’s concerns is key to success.

Truro: 01872 225 259

Exeter: 01392 979 135

hello@laurenceassociates.co.uk