An inspector has approved 188 homes on greenfield land in Berkely, Gloucestershire, on appeal. This decision has been made even though the inspector concluded that the site conflicts with the development plan and that Stroud District Council can demonstrate a five year supply of land for housing, meaning the presumption in favour of sustainable development doesn't apply.
The Berkeley Conservation Area lies to the south of the appeal site, and a small part of the appeal site actually lies within the area, although a range of experts have provided differing conclusions as to how the development could impact on the conservation area, which also includes Berkeley Castle.
The inspector acknowledged that the site will be visually well contained and will have very little visual impact on Berkely from most viewpoints. In addition, the original proposal of 197 homes had been reduced to 188, meaning the development is now at "arms length" from the conservation area as an open field will act as a buffer zone. Doing this also mean that there would be no impact on the setting of Berkeley Castle.
Weighing up all of the factors, the inspector decided that the appeal site would be sustainable and allowed the appeal. Furthermore, it was noted that Berkeley Town Council had supported the proposal as it could help to revitalise the declining town.
