Secretary of State dismisses appeal for 650 homes at Leckampton, Cheltenham

The Secretary of State agreed with his Inspector that the harm (principally to the valued landscape and transport network) would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the "substantial" benefits of the scheme.

Ashley Bowes of Cornerstone Barristers appeared for the successful Rule 6 Party (Leckhampton Green Land Action Group, "LEGLAG") to persuade the Inspector to (i) find the OAN to be that within the emerging Joint Core Strategy (without an uplift for economic trends), (ii) impose a 5% rather than a 20% buffer on the basis there was no "persistent" undersupply, (iii) find that the landscape was a "valued" landscape in terms of para.109 NPPF, (iv) find that the scheme would be premature to the Local Green Space proposal, and (v) find that the adverse consequences significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits. The Secretary of State agreed with all these conclusions.