It is established planning policy, at both national and local level, that new development should be permitted in the countryside in limited circumstances only. The application site is located in the countryside and there are no circumstances which justify over-riding the normal planning policies. The proposed development would conflict with the provisions of Paragraph 84 and 85 and 174 of the NPPF, Policies CS1 and CS11 of the Charnwood Local Plan (2011-2028) Core Strategy and Saved Policies ST/2, CT/1, and CT/2 of the adopted Borough of Charnwood Local Plan (2004) and Policies R3 and R5 of the Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan which promote sustainable development in the countryside.

It has not been demonstrated that the satisfaction of the local planning authority that the net losses to biodiversity as identified by the submitted Biodiversity Impact Assessment could be adequately mitigated or secured. Full details of suitable mitigation has not been provided by the applicant or secured via a unilateral undertaking. The proposal is therefore contrary to Paragraph 174 of the NPPF which states that planning decisions should contribute to and enhance the local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity and paragraph 180 which requires that local planning authorities refuse planning permission for developments that do not mitigate the impacts of significant harm to biodiversity. The proposal would also be contrary to Policy CS13 of the Core Strategy (2015) which expects development proposals to consider and take account of the impacts on biodiversity.

The proposed development would be prominently located within the countryside. The Local Planning Authority consider that its indicative design, siting, scale and appearance on elevated land would be visually harmful to the character and appearance of its rural surroundings, contrary to Policies CS2 and CS11 of the Charnwood Local Plan (2011-2028) Core Strategy and Policies CT/1 and CT/2 of the Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, Policy R5 and R7 of the Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan, the adopted Supplementary Planning Document on Design (2020) and the relevant provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.