Portway House, Old Sarum Park, Old Sarum, Salisbury, SP4 6EB

1. 1.The application seeks to provide a new access onto Portway, from an existing commercial building within the Conservation Area and Principal Employment Area. Vehicular access between airfield buildings has historically been primarily along the internal roads. Maintaining the roadside boundaries without new openings has helped preserve the sense of distinct character areas between the public highway and the Conservation Area. The majority of existing accesses do not have large visibility splays or require the significant removal of hedgerow. This controlled enclosure of the site reflects its historic military use and defines the area more clearly than if buildings along the Portway were to have direct accesses. There are no obvious benefits to the Conservation Area or the setting of the listed building by the formation of the new opening. It would fail to enhance or better reveal the significance of the Conservation Area, contrary to para 219 of the NPPF. There is no justified or demonstrable need for the new access. The proposal would fail to preserve the character of the Conservation Area and setting of the grade II listed building by its erosion of the legibility of the defined area of the Conservation Area and impact on the hierarchy of the Conservation Area's administrative buildings. The less than substantial harm identified would not be outweighed by any demonstrable public benefits arising from the provision of the access. The loss of the hedgerow to the front of the site along Portway to provide two new visibility splays has not been quantified. The visibility of the existing buildings is only slightly hampered by the unpruned vegetation and the exposed view of the rear courtyard/parking associated with Portway House wouldn't be desirable. The Wiltshire Core Strategy requires all development to demonstrate no net loss of biodiversity and to seek opportunities to enhance biodiversity. The NPPF also encourages applications to deliver measurable net gains (para 187d). In the absence of these details, it is not possible for the LPA to conclude that there would be no net loss of biodiversity on the site as a result of the scheme, or that the Biodiversity Net Gain national condition requiring submission of a BNG plan would not be required post determination. The proposal would therefore cause less than substantial harm to the character of the Conservation Area and the setting of the Grade II listed building, which would not be outweighed by any public benefits, contrary to the aims of Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the NPPF paras 11, 187 (d), 215, 219 and Wiltshire Core Strategy Core Policy 50 and 58.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

SP4 6EB

Application type

Full planning permission

Scale / size

Medium

Parish

Laverstock & Ford CP

Date validated

30 January 2026

Consultation expiry

22 April 2026

Consultation end

22 April 2026

Target decision date

8 July 2026

Case officer

Becky Jones

Statutory period

159 days

Documents

32