Cross Cottage Holt Fleet Lane Holt Heath Holt Fleet

1. 1.The application site is located outside any defined development boundary, as identified under Policy SWDPR03 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (2026), and is therefore situated within the open countryside, where residential development is strictly controlled. The proposal does not satisfy any of the relevant exceptions for residential development in the countryside set out within the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (2026). Furthermore, the proposal does not fall within any of the categories of development supported outside settlements under Policy S5 of the National Planning Policy Framework. In particular, the application site does not constitute limited infilling within groups of houses (e) and the site is not physically well related to an existing settlement and occupies an unsustainable location (j), such that the limited benefits associated with the provision of a single dwelling would not outweigh the harm arising from its isolated and unsustainable location. The proposal therefore does not benefit from the provisions of Policy S5. The proposed development would consequently represent an unjustified form of residential development in the open countryside, contrary to the spatial strategy of the development plan, which seeks to direct development towards sustainable locations. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy SWDPR03 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (2026) and S5 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. 2.The proposed development by reason of its location would fail to provide a genuine choice of sustainable travel modes and would result in an undue reliance on the private car. The proposal would therefore fail to minimise the demand for travel or adequately address road safety considerations, contrary to Policies SWDPR03 and SWDPR06 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review,2026, Policy TOAD9 of the Ombersley and Doverdale neighbourhood plan, 2021 and Policies TR1 and TR3 of the National Planning Policy Framework, that require development to minimise the demand for travel and offer genuinely sustainable travel choices.
3. 3.The application site lies entirely within Flood Zone 2 associated with the River Severn. The application has failed to provide a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment or demonstrate that the Sequential Test has been appropriately undertaken, or that an applicable exemption exists. Consequently, insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the site is an appropriate location for residential development, that the proposed dwelling could be made safe from flooding throughout its lifetime, or that the development would not increase flood risk elsewhere. The proposal is therefore considered to be contrary to Policy SWDPR38 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review,2026 and Policies F4, F5 and F7 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

From the council's decision notice.

Application type

Permission in Principle

Parish

Ombersley

Date validated

8 October 2026

Applicant

Private applicant

Agent address

Holcombe Mill Spring Mills Estate Avening Road Nailsworth GL6 0BS

Case officer

Isabelle Badland