Hinchley Farm Rushock Cutnall Green Droitwich Spa WR9 0NF

1. 1.The application site lies outside the defined development boundary of Cutnall Green and is therefore located within the open countryside, where residential development is strictly controlled. The proposal would not fall within any of the exceptions to new residential development in the open countryside set out within Policy SWDPR03 and would not accord with the adopted spatial development strategy. Furthermore, whilst Cutnall Green is identified as a Category 3 village, the settlement contains only a limited range of services and facilities and scheduled public transport provision is restricted in frequency. Future occupiers would therefore be likely to rely on private motor vehicles for the majority of day-to-day journeys, including access to employment, healthcare, shopping and a wider range of services and facilities. The proposal would therefore fail to represent a sustainable location for residential development. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies SWDPR01, SWDPR03 and SWDPR06 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. 2.The application site lies within the West Midlands Green Belt. The proposal is not considered to fall within any of the exceptions to inappropriate development set out at paragraph 154 of the National Planning Policy Framework, including limited infilling within a village, having regard to the site’s heavily vegetated and undeveloped character, its relationship with the main built-up part of Cutnall Green, and the loose-knit and sporadic pattern of development in this part of Kidderminster Road. The site is also not considered to constitute Grey Belt land for the purposes of paragraph 155 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Furthermore, the proposal does not satisfy the cumulative requirements of paragraph 155, including the requirement for a demonstrable unmet need and for development to be in a sustainable location. The proposal therefore constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, which is by definition harmful. It would also result in harm to Green Belt openness and encroachment into the countryside through the introduction of residential built form, domestic activity and associated paraphernalia on presently undeveloped land. No very special circumstances have been demonstrated which would clearly outweigh this harm. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy SWDPR04 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review and the Green Belt provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework, including paragraphs 153, 154 and 155.
3. 3.The application site comprises a heavily vegetated and undeveloped parcel of land on the western edge of the A442. It is experienced from the public realm as a landscape break within the loose-knit pattern of development to the north of Cutnall Green, contributing to the transition between the settlement edge and the open countryside beyond. The proposal would result in the domestication of this undeveloped land through the introduction of residential built form, domestic activity and associated paraphernalia. The proposed amount of development would fail to respond positively to the character and quality of the local area and would erode the rural, vegetated character of the site and its contribution to the Principal Timbered Farmlands landscape type. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies SWDPR03, SWDPR16, SWDPR28 and SWDPR34 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review and the relevant aims and objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

WR9 0NF

Application type

Permission in Principle

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Elmley Lovett

Date validated

15 April 2026

Consultation expiry

1 May 2026

Consultation start

17 April 2026

Consultation end

1 May 2026

Agent address

Marrons Bridgeway House Bridgeway Statford Upon Avon CV37 6YX

Documents

6