Noting our objection in her report, the case officer also itemised objections from the Town Council, the Council's Landscape Officer, the AONB Unit, the Council's Tree Officer and the County Highways Authority.

And, as we noted in our submission, this site had previously been recorded as Lower Rockledge in earlier planning applications (0201/19/FUL and 4159/19/FUL), the first of which was withdrawn and the second refused by the local planning authority and subsequently dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate at appeal.

The relevant statutory consultees also agreed with our assessment that, as with the previous applications, this proposal would clearly fail to conserve either the location’s special qualities or its distinctive natural beauty. We also noted that trees had been removed from the site without approval from the local planning authority.

Recommending refusal, the case officer concluded: 'The proposed scheme in terms of its scale, form, design, massing, fenestration pattern and features is such that the development lacks harmony and fails to integrate with the local built surroundings and respect the site context. This would have a transformative effect on the verdant character of the site, spaciousness of the area and density of development. This fails to conserve or enhance the special qualities and distinctive characteristics the AONB and setting of the Conservation Area'.