Members of a Birmingham barristers’ chambers have secured planning permission for their clients following a 13 day public inquiry.

Jeremy Cahill QC (acting for Comparo) and Ian Dove QC and Satnam Choongh (acting for Welbeck Strategic Land) of No 5 Chambers successfully secured planning permission in conjoined appeals, for up to 1,000 houses, new local retail centres and a range of community facilities on the outskirts of Bishop’s Cleeve in Gloucestershire.

Both proposed sites – one of 550 homes and the other of 450 – are located in open countryside outside the settlement boundary of Bishop’s Cleeve and were vigorously opposed by Tewkesbury Borough Council. The council’s argument relied on landscape impact, prematurity and the “localism agenda” to resist the proposals.

The Secretary of State, however, released a decision agreeing with the planning inspector and granting planning permission for the proposals. It was ruled the lack of a five-year housing supply outweighed concerns about conflict with out-dated settlement boundaries and landscape impact.

Eric Pickles gave full weight to the presumption in favour of sustainable development in one of his first post-NPPF decisions.

Comparo’s appeal was led by Jeremy Cahill QC of No5 Chambers, instructed by Origin 3.