®Planning appeal decision
Land West of Turners Green Road, Wadhurst, TN5 6TW
5 no. self-build dwellings, associated access and infrastructure works
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Davies N
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is an appropriate location for new dwellings having regard to the spatial strategy of the development plan
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the future occupants would have reasonable access to services and facilities by means other than by private vehicle
What decided it
The substantial harm to the scenic beauty and character of the AONB, which carries great weight and provides a clear reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework, outweighs the benefits of self-build housing delivery and housing land supply shortfall.
The substantial social and economic benefits of self-build housing delivery and addressing housing land supply shortfall were outweighed by the great weight given to the harm to the AONB landscape character and the substantial weight of increased reliance on private vehicle travel, resulting in dismissal.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy GD2, Policy DC17, Policy EN1, Policy EN6, Policy EN27, Policy WCS6, Chapter 2 of the Weald Design Guide, Policy S2 of the High Weald AONB Management Plan, Policy S3 of the High Weald AONB Management Plan
Judgments cited: Monkhill Ltd v SSHCLG [2019] EWHC 1993 (Admin)
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.