Land off Church Farm Lane, Woodborough, SN9 5PH

1. 1.The proposed development would introduce additional vehicular movements onto Church Farm Lane, which is a narrow, single-track rural lane measuring less than 3 metres in width in places and characterised by constrained geometry and limited opportunities for vehicles to pass. The lane is also used by pedestrians and other non-motorised users, with no segregated provision. Given the restricted width of the carriageway, the absence of formal passing places, and the presence of bends with limited forward visibility, the additional traffic associated with the development would increase the likelihood of vehicle conflict and give rise to conditions prejudicial to the safety of all highway users. The applicant has not demonstrated, through adequate evidence, that safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved, nor that these constraints could be satisfactorily mitigated. In these circumstances, the proposal would result in an unacceptable impact on highway safety and therefore fails to accord with Core Policies 60 and 61 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and paragraph 115 of the National Planning Policy Framework Refusal Reason
2. 2.The proposed development is located outside the defined limits of development for Woodborough, where Core Policies 1 and 2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy seek to direct new residential development to established settlements in order to maintain a sustainable pattern of growth. The application site does not lie within a continuous built frontage and would not constitute infill development, but would instead extend built form into the open countryside at the edge of the settlement. As a result, the proposal would erode the existing settlement pattern and introduce sporadic residential development in a location where new housing is strictly controlled, undermining the spatial strategy for the area. In the absence of any overriding material considerations, the development is therefore contrary to Core Policies 1 and 2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework, which seeks to support sustainable patterns of development.
3. 3.The proposed development, by reason of its siting and introduction of built form, would encroach into the open countryside at the edge of Woodborough within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. The site forms part of the rural setting of the settlement and contributes to the character and scenic quality of the designated landscape. The proposal would introduce a domestic form of development into this open and undeveloped area, resulting in the erosion of its rural character and a harmful urbanising influence that would not conserve or enhance the landscape. In the absence of overriding justification, the proposal is therefore contrary to Core Policy 51 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, the Wiltshire Design Guide SPD, and paragraph 189 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which afford great weight to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Landscapes, and would conflict with the statutory duty under section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (as amended by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023) to seek to further the purposes of National Landscapes.
4. 4.The proposed development, by virtue of its siting, layout and access arrangements, would introduce a form of development that is not reflective of the established pattern of development along Church Farm Lane, which is characterised by sporadic, loose-knit frontage development set within generous plots. The proposal would instead occupy land to the rear/side of existing properties and be served by a new engineered access, resulting in a backland form of development that is not characteristic of the locality. The development would erode an important undeveloped gap that contributes to the spacious and transitional character of the settlement edge and would introduce domestic paraphernalia and engineered features into a currently open and rural setting. As a result, the proposal would fail to respond positively to the local context and would harm the character and appearance of the area. The development is therefore contrary to Core Policy 57 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which require development to respect and respond to the local character, settlement pattern and surroundings.
5. 5.The proposed development would result in less than substantial harm to the significance of the Woodborough Conservation Area. The site forms part of the rural edge and setting of the Conservation Area, where the transition between built form and the surrounding countryside contributes positively to its character and appearance. The introduction of built development, together with an engineered access and associated domestic features, would erode this transitional character, extending built form into an undeveloped area and introducing a more urbanised form of development that would detract from the Conservation Area’s rural setting. This harm to significance is not outweighed by public benefits. The proposal would therefore fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, contrary to Section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Core Policies 57 and 58 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, and Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

SN9 5PH

Application type

Full planning permission

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Woodborough CP

Date validated

12 November 2025

Consultation expiry

13 February 2026

Consultation end

13 February 2026

Target decision date

7 January 2026

Case officer

Jonathan James

Statutory period

56 days

Documents

32