Newport: When No Means No Planning Appeal Success

A fourth consecutive appeal on the same site, for much the same scheme, at Five Acres in Newport, Essex has been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.

Newport Parish Council had submitted their own representation opposing the scheme and ONH was then instructed to represent their case the informal appeal hearing.

This time, a developer tried to argue that a policy benefit of delivering a small housing scheme outside the settlement boundary using self-build and custom housebuilding plots would outweigh the ongoing conflict with the development plan. 

Our role was to ensure that the Parish Council’s case was fully presented and tested in discussion with the Inspector, including making detailed arguments on the engagement of NPPF §14. This provision of the Framework is particularly relevant in Newport, as the made neighbourhood plan of 2021 meets its housing requirement, and §14 has been successfully engaged before.

In the end the Inspector decided the proposal was in such conflict with other neighbourhood and development plan policies that she didn’t need to get as far as addressing the §14 matter in dismissing the appeal.

We continue to support the Parish Council in bringing forward their updated neighbourhood plan which will be submitted before the end of the year. It proposes to allocate land for around 300 new homes to align with the new Local Plan housing target for the village. The new neighbourhood plan will be made before the made plan expires, ensuring the community retains control over where and how development comes forward for at least the next few years.