The importance of ‘showing your working’ when solving a maths question is drilled into every schoolchild from an early age, but the case of Jane Margaret Mordue v (1) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (2) Aidan Jones (3) South Northamptonshire Council has confirmed that this principle remains equally true for planning inspectors considering cases where there is potential harm to listed buildings. 

In this case a ‘clear’ decision was struck down for failure to demonstrate that ‘considerable weight’ had been given to the potential harm to the setting of a listed building – even though the inspector found no evidence to suggest that 'considerable weight' had not been applied to the issue.

Permission had been granted on appeal for the erection of an 86-metre high wind turbine at Poplars Farm, South Northamptonshire.  As is often the case with wind turbine applications, there was considerable local opposition, leading to the formation of the Wappenham Wind Turbine Action Group, which was chaired by the claimant, Ms Mordue. 

The Group was concerned that proposed turbine would ‘dominate the landscape for miles around’ and have an adverse effect on the setting on a number of listed buildings within the area including the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary in Wappenham.