Four-pitch caravan site at Ladys Mile, Kingshill Road, High Wycombe

The site and surroundings

The site was agricultural land outside High Wycombe’s settlement boundary, in the Green Belt and Chilterns National Landscape, accessed from Kingshill Road.

“The land to which the application relates is located close to the settlement boundary of High Wycombe but lies outside the defined settlement boundary, within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The site is not located within any defined village envelope. The site lies within Flood Zone 1, indicating a low probability of flooding.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because the proposal met a Green Belt exception, contributed to unmet accommodation need and was considered acceptable on key impacts with conditions.

“Concluding GB7(g)(i) assessment 4.19 Whilst the wider Green Belt parcel would remain substantially intact, the proposal relates to a limited area of land on the edge of the parcel that is influenced by existing development and infrastructure. Having regard to the scale and location of the proposal, it is not considered that development of the site would fundamentally undermine the role or function of the remaining Green Belt across the wider plan area.”

“Wycombe and benefits from reasonable access to shops, schools, healthcare facilities, public transport services and employment opportunities. As such, the site is well related to the existing settlement, is not isolated from services, and would provide future occupiers with access to day-to-day needs by means other than the private car. Having regard to the site's sustainable location, the proposal is considered to satisfy criterion GB7(g)(iii).”

Officer report

Who spoke

Two councillors, a Member of Parliament, an objectors’ representative and the agent spoke during the committee’s consideration.

What members considered

Members weighed the substantial benefit of providing pitches against harm to the Green Belt and Chilterns National Landscape.

“During consideration of the application, the Committee carefully considered whether the development could be considered as appropriate development in the Green Belt, and acknowledged the substantial weight attached to the benefit of the proposal to provide Gypsy and Traveller pitches which would contribute to an evidenced unmet need.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee refused the application because substantial harms outweighed the housing benefits, and because the development harmed Green Belt openness and the landscape.

“It was proposed by Councillor A Collingwood, seconded by Councillor M Fayyaz BEM and Resolved: That the application be refused for the following reasons (detailed further in the decision notice):”

“It was deemed that the substantial harms outweighed the benefits the provision of housing would provide. 2. The development represented inappropriate development in the Green Belt, which, by definition, is harmful to it. 3. The development erodes the openness of the countryside and is also visually intrusive to the Chilterns National Landscape, failing to conserve, or enhance its special landscape qualities.”

Minutes