Hallam Land wins Planning Appeal at Cotford St Luke, Somerset

Hallam Land has secured outline planning permission at appeal for up to 80 homes (25% of which will be affordable) and a local centre on the edge of Cotford St Luke in Somerset West & Taunton. While the Council’s housing land supply was contested as part of the appeal, the Inspector ultimately found that the benefits of the scheme, including the provision of both market and affordable housing and the additional trade created through the local centre, clearly outweighed the limited landscape harm and conflict with the Core Strategy. Irrespective of housing land supply the appeal was allowed on the ’flat’ statutory balance – i.e. the material considerations clearly outweighed the conflict with the development plan.

The scheme will bring new homes to an area where housing delivery is currently being suppressed by the ongoing phosphates issue that affects much of the County. Hallam was able to provide phosphate mitigation through an arrangement to fallow nearby agricultural land under the same control, which was agreed upon by Natural England to achieve nutrient neutrality.