Council launches legal challenge against Planning Inspectorate’s appeal approval for housing at Old Sarum Airfield

Wednesday, 21 May 2025 16:13

Wiltshire Council has today (Wednesday 21st May) launched a legal challenge against the Planning Inspectorate's decision to allow an appeal and grant planning permission for residential development at Old Sarum Airfield.

The outline application, for around 315 residential dwellings and a mixture of employment, commercial, leisure and aviation, was originally refused by the council’s Strategic Planning Committee in August 2024.

The committee initially refused the application for several reasons, including concerns over highways issues and access to the site, and the close proximity to the Old Sarum Scheduled Ancient Monument and its surrounding Conservation Area.

The applicant decided to appeal against the council’s decision and following a lengthy public inquiry earlier this year, an independent Planning Inspector decided that the harm was capable of being mitigated and therefore allowed the appeal and granted planning permission.

Only days after the appeal was allowed, a Grade II* listed World War I aircraft hangar on the site, which was central to the appeal decision, was destroyed by fire.

Cllr Adrian Foster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management and Housing, said: “The basis on which the decision was made to allow the appeal has altered following the devastating fire to the listed aircraft hangar at Old Sarum Airfield.

“Following legal advice, in light of the unusual circumstances surrounding this case, we have taken the decision to launch a legal challenge against the Planning Inspector’s decision.

“We have applied to the court to challenge the decision and we now wait to hear whether it will proceed to hearing.”