Decision on Tivetshall St Margaret home overturned by Planning Inspectorate

Government officials have overturned a decision to block the construction of a new home in the Norfolk countryside.

The Planning Inspectorate was called in to review the case in Tivetshall St Margaret after the application was refused amid concerns about its rural location.

The initial ruling laid down by South Norfolk Council has been thrown out due to the authority facing a potential housing deficit in the coming years.

While the development in the village will see just one house built, more projects could be pushed through the planning process unless the council is able to prove there will not be a shortfall.

Tyler Bloomfield and Ashleigh Garrett, who both work in the area, applied to the council to build a family home in Lodge Road.

The proposal was refused due to concerns about it being poorly connected to services and transport links, as well as fears it would be “at odds” with the character of the street.

The applicants appealed this decision to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate and the ruling has since been overturned, despite the inspector sharing many of the concerns raised by the council.

This was largely due to the authority being unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land, which proves it can deliver sufficient homes.

Without this, councils lose control over where new homes are built and the door is left open for developers to win permission for housing sites that are not allocated in a plan.

While the council has taken this position as a “precautionary approach” due to nutrient neutrality issues that are still being addressed, the inspector looking into the case ruled in favour of the Tivetshall development because of this expected “housing deficit”.

This could see larger developments slip through the cracks of the planning process if the council cannot prove there will not be a housing shortfall within the district.

South Norfolk Council has been approached for comment.