Council's Green Belt decision upheld

A scheme to build over 60 houses on green belt land in Colehill, East Dorset has been dismissed on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.

The scheme, which was the subject of widespread local opposition, covered 1.74 hectares of land behind Heath Close, Colehill, Wimborne.

It was initially refused by East Dorset District Council but the applicant took the matter to appeal.

The decision held particular interest as it was the first proposal for a significant housing scheme in East Dorset Green Belt, testing issues relating to land supply.

Inspector Nicholas Hammons said: “Government guidance strongly emphasises a presumption that the strategic identification of necessary housing land should be sustainable and plan-led. I find no compelling evidence that Colehill has been identified, by a sequential search, as the right place for urban extensions or as the best, least objectionable location for plan-led residential development.”

The inspector concluded that, “…all the other considerations do not clearly out weigh the totality of harm to the Green Belt. Therefore, no very special circumstances exist to justify the development.”

Mike Hirsh, Head of Planning at East Dorset District Council said that he was delighted with the outcome: “This is a good decision for East Dorset. It supports the council's position in defending the Green Beltand demonstrates how unacceptable it is to take speculative bites out of Green Belt land at the urban edge.”