BCP Council (Bournemouth): Pure Town Planning has won an appeal against BCP Council and secured full planning permission to sever an existing plot and erect a detached dwelling at Horsa Close, Bournemouth.
The application site forms part of the curtilage of No. 6 Horsa Close and is situated at the end of a short cul-de-sac that is served by a private road. The road serves six dwellings and the appeal site comprises of part of the side/front garden of No 6.
The site has a detailed planning history including a failed attempt at securing permission for residential development. The current proposal for a bungalow, which was designed by JOLP, overcame the Council’s previous concerns regarding overdevelopment and neighbouring amenity.
However, the LPA concluded that Horsa Close was unsuitable for the increased vehicular, pedestrian and cycle traffic that would be generated by the proposed development by reason of its constricted narrow width for its length and its poor and difficult surface condition. They went onto find that the intensification of traffic on Horsa Close would also result in increased risks of conflict between all users, prejudicing the condition of highway safety, on and off site.
We strongly refuted the LPA’s assessment of the proposal and put forward a robust justification in favour of the proposed development within our statement of case. We explained that due to the limited number of direct vehicle movements associated with the new dwelling and the existing road conditions (short length, clear visibility, slow speeds and junction lighting), that the proposed development would provide safe and suitable access to the site for all users.
To justify this position, we undertook an assessment of accident data for the immediate area using Crash Map, which showed that between 1999 – 2024 there were no recorded incidents at the junction of Horsa Close and Horsa Road.
In assessing the proposal’s impact upon the highway safety, the Inspector agreed with our assessment and found: “the development would not harm the safety of highway users. Accordingly, there would be no conflict with Policies CS16, CS18 and CS41 of the Bournemouth Local Plan Core Strategy (October 2012), the Parking Standards SPD (2021) or the NPPF.”
For these reasons, Inspector found that the proposed development was consistent with the development plan and the National Planning Policy Framework, and they proceeded to grant full planning permission for the proposal development.
Our client was understandably delighted with the appeal decision and they are looking forward to bringing forward the development in the near future.
If you have recently been refused planning permission and would like to know whether it is worth appealing, then why not call Pure Town Planning on 01202 585524 or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk to see how we can help you.