Fall-Back Scenario Consideration

The second consideration is the so called 'fall back' scenario, i.e. where through an extant permission or permitted development rights it is argued that there is a 'fall back' position which may be implemented if the current proposal is not accepted. It is possible in some cases that a specific proposal may have a lesser impact than the proposal for which consent is being sought. Alternatively, an application might provide the opportunity to impose planning restrictions which could mitigate impact. However, in judging the relevance of a 'fall back' position, the following factors should be considered: • First, the relevance of a fall-back position should be judged having regard to the likelihood of it being implemented. There is a difference between a purely 'hypothetical' fall-back position, and a position which could be implemented. If there is a realistic prospect that the fall-back position would be brought forward, then it would be appropriate to attach significant weight to it in judging the impact of the proposal in question. • Second, when comparing the impact of a proposal with a fall-back position, it will be relevant to consider the impact of the proposal as a whole (together with other known commitments – see above), rather than just the 'incremental' impact of the difference between the two.