Outline proposals for the development of 15 dwellings on a Green Belt site in Larkhall have been dismissed at appeal, with the Inspector citing “significant harm that would arise to the [World Heritage Site] and to the setting of the conservation area.” (see the appeal decision here.)

An earlier application for 18 homes, submitted in 2020, was also dismissed at appeal in 2021 because of “the totality of the harm” to multiple heritage assets, including the setting of the Bath Conservation Area and the World Heritage Site (see the appeal decision here).

BPT has continued to oppose development on this green field site, which forms a significant transition point between Bath’s residential edge and its open landscape setting, where development would result in harm to the Green Belt, and World Heritage Site setting, and would fail to reflect or reinforce local distinctiveness and townscape character (read our objection response here). This harm would not be outweighed by public benefit. And there is little evidence to support the provision of genuinely affordable homes.

In response to this latest application, the Inspector concluded that “the adverse impacts arising from the proposal would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the aforementioned benefits, and the suggested conditions would not overcome these substantial harms.”