DORSET Council has been ordered to pay a developer’s costs after its decision to refuse planning permission for 55 homes on the edge of Shaftesbury was overturned.

Shaftesbury LVA’s application to develop land off Higher Blandford Road was rejected last year due to concerns about its scale and its distance from services in the town.

But, following a challenge by the developer, a planning inspector said the now-abolished North Dorset District Council had acted “unreasonably” and reversed its decision.

As a result, it will now have to pay the costs of lodging the appeal.

North Dorset District Council’s planning committee refused the outline in January 2019, despite its planning officer Robert Lennis recommending it be approved.

“This site is immediately adjacent to Shaftesbury and any future residential development here would be reliant upon Shaftesbury to provide services and facilities to meet its day-to-day needs,” he said.

But councillors said it was too far away from residential amenities in the town and that the scheme was “overdevelopment” of the site.

Their decision was appealed by the developer which said the council had made “vague, generalised and inaccurate” assertions

It was heard by planning inspector S Edwards who said the council had not provided “detailed justification to substantiate its reasons for refusal”.

“In the overall planning judgment, and on the basis of the submitted evidence, it appears to me that the proposal should have reasonably been permitted,” the appeal decision said.

“Therefore the refusal of planning permission in this particular case represents unreasonable behaviour which caused the applicant unnecessary expense by having to lodge this appeal.”

This cost will now have to be paid by Dorset Council and the original decision to refuse the scheme has been overturned.

A spokesman for Dorset Council said: "The right of appeal is an important part of the planning process, and in this case the inspector took a different view to the council.

“In cases such as this, the applicant is invited to submit details of their costs to the council, with a view to reaching agreement as to a reasonable amount.

“This process has not yet taken place, and the council does not yet know the level of costs involved."