DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — by Colin Cresswell BSc (Hons) MA, MBA, MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 13 June 2025

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — Dinton Recreation Ground, St Mary's Rd, Dinton, Salisbury • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a grant of planning permission subject to conditions. • The appeal is made by Mr Michael Glover (Dinton Parish Council) against the decision of Wiltshire Council. • The application Ref PL/2024/07109 was approved on 18 November 2024 and planning permission was granted subject to conditions. • The development permitted is installation of a storage container at the north end of the pavilion and the installation of three pieces of outdoor adult gym equipment. • The condition in dispute is No 3 which states that: Notwithstanding the plans hereby approved, no works shall commence in relation to the installation of the metal storage container until full details (to include site plan, elevations, materials and/or planting species) of screening (fence, cladding, trellis or planting) to go around all four sides of the container have been submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — Dinton Recreation Ground, St Mary's Rd, Dinton, Salisbury > Any screening (fence, cladding, trellis) shall be erected within three months of the installation of the storage container or before the storage container is first brought into use – whichever is the soonest and shall remain for the lifetime of the development .>Any planting shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding season following the installation of the storage container. All shrubs, trees and hedge planting shall be maintained free from weeds and shall be protected from damage by vermin and stock. Any trees or plants which, within a period of five years, die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority. • The reason given for the condition is: in the interests of visual amenity and to protect the character and appearance of the area which includes the conservation area.

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — various other structures, including outdoor play equipment. It is mostly surrounded https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — various other structures, including outdoor play equipment. It is mostly surrounded https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — various other structures, including outdoor play equipment. It is mostly surrounded Appeal Decision APP/Y3940/W/25/3359425 by development and provides a green and spacious character to this part of the village. The field and its immediate surroundings form part of the Dinton Conservation Area, the significance of which is mainly derived from the architectural quality of the buildings within the village setting. 4. The existing play equipment is arranged in a row to the north of the pavilion, close to the edge of St Mary’s Road. When seen at close quarters from St Mary’s Road, the equipment appears relatively small and unobtrusive against the wide, open backdrop of the field behind it. From other public vantage points, the equipment is seen as collection small, lightweight structures which do not interfere with views of the surrounding dwellings or wider Conservation Area in any meaningful way. While the proposed gym equipment would add to the collection of structures on this part of the field, it would be similarly small and unobtrusive, being read in the context of the existing play equipment. 5. There are no detailed plans of the proposed storage container, but its squared proportions would give it a more solid and utilitarian appearance than the other equipment on this part of the field.

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — various other structures, including outdoor play equipment. It is mostly surrounded Nonetheless, it would be positioned very close to the pavilion, where it would be seen in the context of the much larger building. From distant vantage points it would appear as a small feature that would be viewed against the backdrop of other nearby development. Although the container would be more noticeable in St Mary’s Road, it would remain a relatively minor feature within the street scene. The dominant features in this part of the street are the pavilion building and the wide expanse of open space behind it. 6. I appreciate that the container is a purely functional structure which is not designed to be attractive, but I have found that it would be relatively inconspicuous within its setting. In my view, its utilitarian appearance would be compatible with the functional nature of the gym and play equipment here. As such, I am not convinced that the container would need to be screened from view as required by condition No 3 of the original planning permission. Indeed, screening the container with planting or fencing may even serve to draw attention to it. 7. This leads me to find that the character and appearance of the Conservation Area would be preserved if the disputed condition were to be removed.

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — various other structures, including outdoor play equipment. It is mostly surrounded For similar reasons, removing the condition would not be harmful to the statutory purposes of the National Landscape designation. Conclusion 8. I conclude that the disputed condition is not reasonable or necessary in the interests of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. The planning permission should therefore be varied by the removal of condition No 3.

DINTON RECREATION GROUND, ST MARY'S RD DINTON, SALISBURY, WILTS, SP3 5HH — Wiltshire Council — C Cresswell INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2