Case Study No. 14: Permission in Principle for housing allowed at appeal
/Our client sought advice on the planning potential of a site at the edge of a Worcestershire village. We advised that whilst it was outside the ‘development boundary’ in the South Worcestershire Development Plan, there were good prospects of securing consent for housing on appeal.
We advised that ‘Permission in Principle’ (‘PiP’) be sought. PiP is an alternative way of securing planning permission for housing. In effect, it is a ‘light touch’ process which separates the consideration of matters of principle (Stage 1) from detailed technical matters (Stage 2). The aim of Stage 1 is to give certainty on core matters relating to the location, land use and amount of development, without having to commission costly reports and drawings relating to more detailed technical matters.
Following the refusal of PiP by Malvern Hills District Council, we lodged an appeal with The Planning Inspectorate. The Inspector found that housing here would ‘read’ as part of the village on the ground, and that the benefits, including the delivery of housing, would outweigh any perceived harm as a result of the site’s location. The appeal was therefore allowed.
“Chris was professional, attentive and explained all our options as we went through the planning process. We had a very positive result which validated our trust in his decisions. Couldn’t recommend him highly enough!”