Planning inspectors have ruled on the side of the local council that developers should not be allowed to build 290 homes on beloved fields on the southern edge of Bath.

The Hignett Family Trust had wanted to build 290 homes, known as the “Sulis Down” development, on land they own on the South Stoke plateau. Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee went against the advice of their own officers to refuse planning permission in 2024.

The Hignett Family Trust said this was “chaotic” and “unreasonable” and appealed to the government’s planning inspectorate to overturn the decision. The 290 homes would have included 40 per cent affordable housing. But now the planning inspectorate has said that councillors were right to refuse planning permission and has dismissed the appeal.

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Alongside Bath and North East Somerset Council, campaigners South of Bath Alliance (SOBA) raised £13,000 — and teamed up with the South Stoke and Combe Hay parish councils — to send their own lawyer to battle the plans. The group said: “This is a major success for Bath and North East Somerset Council, South Stoke and Combe Hay parish councils and for the community members who have worked tirelessly over the past twelve years to oppose this excessive development.

“SOBA thanks the many volunteers who contributed specialist knowledge, distributed leaflets, and built community support. We appreciate the many financial contributions which enabled the parish councils, supported by SOBA, to participate in the appeal and ensure the community’s voice was heard.”

The planning inquiry sat for seven days in January and February. Announcing his decision, planning inspector Tom Gilbert-Wooldridge said: “The proposed development would be contrary to the development plan taken as a whole, and there are no material considerations to indicate that planning permission should otherwise be granted.”

The land where the Hignett Family Trust had wanted to build had been taken out of the green belt ten years ago for a “mixed-use” development of up to 300 homes. 171 homes had already been built there in the first phase of the development — meaning the new homes would exceed this figure by more than half — but the 300 homes figure is not a cap if all other placemaking strategies are met.

But Mr Gilbert-Wooldridge did not agree that all placemaking policies were, as he warned it would have an adverse effect on the Cotswolds National Landscape. He said: “It is unlikely that any amount of suitable planting would be sufficient to visually screen the housing during the day or night. Therefore, there would be an adverse effect on the special qualities of the [Cotswolds National Landscape] in terms of views of the escarpment and high wolds landscape as well as dark skies.”

The fields are a beloved walking route for people living in South Stoke and Combe Down, with paths lacing across the field boundaries towards the Millennium Viewpoint. But — in documents that were submitted to the inquiry — the agent for the Hignett Family Trust has warned that all public access to the fields would be blocked if the homes are refused.

A paragraph in one of their submissions said: “If the appeal is dismissed, that the appellant will then take immediate action to prevent further public access. That will take the form of closing access points, removing signage and replacing signage to clearly indicate that access is no longer permitted.”

Campaigners say they now expect the Hignett Family Trust will submit new plans — but they will stay vigilant.