Land At (Os 8437 7024) Old Worcester Road Hartlebury

1. 1.The application site lies outside of any defined development boundary within the open countryside, where development is strictly controlled under Policy SWDPR03 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review. The Council can currently demonstrate a 5 year supply of deliverable housing site with 20% buffer. Consequently, the Council’s policies for the supply of housing are considered to be up-to-date and the ‘tilted balance’ is not engaged as per paragraph 11(d) of the Framework. The proposal does not fall within any of the exceptions set out under Policy SWDPR 03 and fails to demonstrate that it would meet a local housing need under Policy SWDPR20. The principle of affordable housing in this location is therefore not supported by the Development Plan. Overall it would not accord with the planned sustainable Spatial Development Strategy set out in Development Plan policy SWDPR03 and the sustainability objectives of SWDPR01.
2. 2.Policy SWDPR04 states that proposals for development in the Green Belt will be determined in accordance with the policies in the NPPF. Chapter 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework relates to the protection of Green Belt land and states that inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt. The construction of new dwellings in the Green Belt is considered inappropriate; the proposed development in this location would not fall within the exceptions given in paragraph 154 of the National Planning Policy Framework and the proposal is therefore considered to constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt. In addition, insufficient evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that the development would utilise grey belt land and would not fundamentally undermine the purposes (taken together) of the remaining Green Belt across the area of the plan. As such the proposed development would conflict with Policy SWDPR04 of the Development Plan and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.
3. 3.The proposed development would fail to respect the existing settlement pattern in this part of Hartlebury and would have an adverse impact on the landscape in conflict with Policies SWDPR03 and SWDPR34 of the Development Plan and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework
4. 4.The proposed development is of a poor design quality which fails to integrate effectively with its surroundings and reinforce a sense of place and local distinctiveness. In addition, insufficient information has been submitted to ensure that the proposal provides adequate open Space and Outdoor Community Uses. As such the proposed development conflicts with Policies SWDPR16H, SWDPR28 and SWDPR49 of the Development Plan and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.
5. 5.The proposed development fails to accord with South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policy 20 in that it is not a small site; it would provide over and above the local housing need identified for the parish and adjoining parishes; other suitable and available sites exist within the Development Boundary of the village and the scale and location of the site fails to relates well to the existing settlement and landscape character.
6. 6.The proposed development fails to provide an appropriate housing mix and standards in conflict with South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policy SWDPR 17.
7. 7.The application is supported by insufficient ecology information including an adequate bat survey effort. The proposal thus conflicts with South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policy SWDPR29 and guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework.
8. 8.Insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that safe and suitable access can be achieved for all users and that the proposal would not result in an unacceptable highway safety impact, contrary to South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policies SWDPR 06 and SWDPR 28 and advice in the NPPF.
9. 9.No archaeological site investigation has been undertaken and as such the proposed development conflicts with South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policies SWDPR09 and SWDPR33 and guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework.
10. 10.The land comprises Grade 1 agricultural land and it has not been demonstrated that the proposed development cannot be reasonably accommodated on non-BMVAL and that the benefits of the development significantly outweigh the loss of BMVAL in conflict with South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policy SWDPR16J and guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework.
11. 11.In the absence of a Section 106 legal agreement, no secure arrangements are in place to secure the provision of and arrangements for a financial contribution towards: - affordable housing provision - public open space/outdoor community uses - transport and infrastructure - off-site BNG As such, the proposed development does not meet the objectives of sustainable development and cannot be delivered with acceptable impacts on the community and the environment. Therefore, the application is contrary to adopted South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Policies SWDPR03, SWDPR06, SWDPR07, SWDPR10, SWDPR17, SWDPR19, SWDPR29 and SWDPR30, SWDPR49 and SWDPR50 along with the Council's adopted Affordable Housing SPD, as well as guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Application type

Full planning permission

Scale / size

Large

Number of dwellings

41

Parish

Hartlebury

Date validated

24 March 2026

Consultation expiry

25 April 2026

Consultation start

24 March 2026

Consultation end

25 April 2026

Agent address

Bridgeway House Bridgeway Stratford upon Avon CV37 6YX

Advertisement expiry

25 April 2026

Documents

39