Rhyddyn Farm

Following a decision by members of Flintshire County Council to refuse planning permission for a development of four dwellings, against the case officer’s advice, officers sought the services of an external consultant to defend the authority’s reasons at a subsequent appeal hearing, with Philip being instructed to represent the Council. Not only was he successful in persuading the appeal inspector that councillors had been justified in rejecting the proposal, but in doing so he pre-empted a previously intended application for an award of costs against the Council, which the appellants abandoned at the hearing.

Despite an identified shortfall in housing provision, the appeal was dismissed after the inspector agreed that the form and layout of the proposed development would relate poorly to its surroundings, harm the character of the countryside and would harm the setting of the nearby Wat’s Dyke scheduled ancient monument.