Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT

Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT — Mid Suffolk District Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 26 August 2025 by A Phillips MPlan BA CertHE MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 09 SEPTEMBER 2025 Appeal Ref: APP/W3520/W/25/3367500 Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, Suffolk IP6 9JT • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr Moss against the decision of Mid Suffolk District Council. • The application Ref is DC/24/04613. • The development proposed is erection of two dwellings. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matters 2. The Council has stated that the third reason for refusal regarding land contamination has now been overcome. With this no longer a point of conflict, I will not deal with this issue as part of my decision. Main Issues 3. The main issues are: • Relevant policies for the location of housing in line with the Council’s spatial strategy. • effect on the character and appearance of the local area. Reasons Character and appearance 4. The site is located on a field between two groups of houses and is outside of the settlement boundary. There is a public footpath that runs adjacent to this field.

Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT — Mid Suffolk District Council — Appeal Decision On the opposite side of the road there is a smaller field, with also visually connected dwelling and barns. The proposal seeks a couple of two storey dwellings on part of the field. 5. The wider field of appeal site and the small field on the opposite side of the road form an important visual gap between the two groups of development within the village. The proposed two dwellings would substantially detract from this break in built form and therefore would harm the overall appearance and character of the countryside. Given the scale and location of the two dwellings it would not be possible to blend this development into the countryside setting via landscaping. 6. I therefore conclude on this issue that the proposal would harm the rural character and appearance of the local area. On this basis the proposal does not comply with Policies SP03, LP01, LP17, LP23 and LP24 of Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT — Mid Suffolk District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/W3520/W/25/3367500 Plan – Part 1 November 2023 (Local Plan) that seek to protect the character and appearance of the area and be sensitive to the landscape. 7. Policy LP23 was mentioned in the decision notice. However, from the evidence before me it is not clear why the proposal would not be constructed to minimise the dependence on fossil fuels. Spatial Strategy 8. Policy SP03 of Local Plan allows development outside of settlement boundaries in certain circumstances. One of these being Policy LP01 of the Local Plan, which allows for filling of a small undeveloped plot in an otherwise built up frontage where these is at least 10 dwellings and is not to the detriment of the character and appearance of the countryside. 9. The site forms part of a significant break in development between two separate clusters of dwellings located to the north and southwest of the site. On this basis, the site does not meet the requirement of infilling a small undeveloped plot in an otherwise built up frontage. In addition, as detailed above the proposal would be to the detriment of the character and appearance of the countryside. 10.

Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT — Mid Suffolk District Council — Appeal Decision I therefore conclude on this issue that the proposal would not comply with the spatial strategy of the Local Plan. On this basis the proposal does not comply with Policies LP01 and SP03 of the Local Plan, which seek to control where and the type of new residential development located within the countryside. Other Matters 11. The proposal would lead to limited benefits regarding the economy and socially by providing new homes within the village. In addition, there could be limited environmental benefits via Biodiversity Net Gain. These benefits do not outweigh the harm identified above. Conclusion 12. The proposal conflicts with the development plan and the material considerations do not indicate that the appeal should be decided other than in accordance with it.

Amurfields The Green, Ashbocking, IPSWICH, IP6 9JT — Mid Suffolk District Council — A Phillips INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2