- Decision
- approved, 25 August 2026
- Decided by
- Council officer (delegated): Case officer Sarah Flaherty (report 12 Aug; manager 15 Aug 2026)
- Authority
- Stratford-on-Avon (West Midlands)
- Application reference
- 26/01764/PIP
- Procedure
- delegated
- Development
- Permission in principle for up to 6 dwellings on a former riding school (PDL) outside the Kineton BUAB
- Homes
- 6
- Site context
- settlement edge, open countryside, PDL
- Green Belt
- No
- Housing land supply
- 2.21 years
- Framework applied
- December 2024 NPPF (transitional)
- Determinative policies
- Transitional(1), S5(1)(d)
- Development plan policies
- Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy 2016 CS.5, CS.9, CS.15, AS.10, Kineton NDP 2016 H1, H2
- Main issues
- principle outside settlement; landscape; PDL
Summary
PIP for up to 6 homes on a former riding school at the edge of Kineton, granted under delegated powers on 25 August 2026. The report was written before 17 August and runs the December 2024 11(d) tilted balance. A single "Procedural Issue" paragraph states that the outcome is the same under the 2026 Framework. It is a transitional example of how SDC closed out reports written under the old Framework.
Issues and findings
- Old-framework balance. "The adverse impacts of the development would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits … the presumption in favour of sustainable development would apply in line with NPPF paragraph 11(d)" (Report p.12).
- Transitional note. "This report was written prior to the introduction of the 2026 NPPF … Having considered the contents of the 2026 NPPF, I consider that the balancing exercise undertaken in this report remains generally consistent and that when assessed against both the 2024 NPPF and 2026 NPPF, the decision remains one of GRANT" (pp.12–13).
- PDL. "In line with the definition of PDL in the NPPF appendix, I would consider the application to constitute PDL/brownfield land" (p.5). The 2026 S5(1)(d) PDL route was not expressly used.
- Location and landscape. "Only moderate weight should be given to the adverse impacts and policy conflicts in terms of locational suitability" (p.11). Moderate landscape harm on land of high/medium sensitivity (p.7).
Planning balance
Old 11(d)(ii): significant weight to housing against no more than moderate harms. Re-labelled, but not re-run, under the 2026 Framework.
What made the difference
PDL next to a Main Rural Centre with a severe supply shortfall. Under the 2026 Framework it would probably pass S5(1)(d) or S5(1)(j) anyway, which is why the officer felt able to rely on a one-paragraph cross-check.
Transferable points
- SDC closed out pre-17 August delegated reports with a single paragraph asserting consistency with the 2026 NPPF (pp.12–13). No re-consultation, and no S5 or TR3 analysis. This pattern is open to challenge where the new tests could bite, for example GB7(1)(g)(iii) or S5(2) refusal policies.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transitional(1) | neutral | report written under NPPF 2024 11(d); a "Procedural Issue" paragraph added after 17 Aug says the balance "remains generally consistent" under the 2026 NPPF, with no S5 analysis | |
| S5(1)(d) | not-engaged | site accepted as PDL under the NPPF definition, but S5(1)(d) not expressly applied | |
| DP3 | harm | moderate | landscape sensitivity high/medium (2012 LSA); rising land at the settlement edge; moderate harm |
| HO7 | benefit | significant | up to 6 dwellings against 2.21 years; decided as NPPF 2024 benefits |
Key facts
- Former riding school with two buildings; officer accepts PDL "in line with the definition of PDL in the NPPF appendix"
- Kineton is a Main Rural Centre; site outside the BUAB but within walking distance of services
- Kineton NDP made 2016, treated as out of date
- Report dated 12 Aug 2026, decision 25 Aug 2026
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.