Sutton Lane: Navigating Planning in the Wiltshire Countryside

The journey to secure planning consent for two new eco-homes at Sutton Lane has been a long one — shaped by policy constraints, persistence, and a strong collaborative effort between our client, Green Trace Architect, and planning consultant Nicky Pugh.

A Countryside Site, a Challenging Context

The site lies outside of any defined settlement boundary and is, therefore, classed as being within the open countryside in planning terms. Under Wiltshire Council’s Core Policy 2 (of the Wiltshire Core Strategy), this typically restricts residential development, as such areas are not considered sustainable locations for growth. As a result, the proposals were deemed to conflict with the spatial strategy of the local plan.

Material Considerations That Shifted the Balance

Despite this policy conflict, material considerations emerged that allowed the application to be approved — the most critical of which was Wiltshire Council’s inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites. In such circumstances, paragraph 11(d) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is engaged.

This is where the "tilted balance" becomes so important.

Under the tilted balance, decision-makers must presume in favour of sustainable development, unless the adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. In this case, the planning officer concluded that the benefits — including delivering two much-needed homes, the energy-efficient design, and high-quality landscaping — outweighed any harms, particularly given that the council recently approved a development of 21 dwellings on an adjacent site.

A Strong Planning Case

The report acknowledges the project's non-compliance with Core Policy 2, but confirms that this was not sufficient to outweigh the wider benefits under the tilted balance approach. The decision ultimately rested on national policy taking precedence over local spatial policy in light of the housing land shortfall — a fundamental and decisive shift in the case.

Looking Ahead

This approval is a reminder that well-considered, sustainable development — even in countryside locations — can succeed with the right planning strategy and evidence base. We’re proud to have supported our client in this outcome and look forward to the next chapter of the Sutton Lane story