Planning appeal decision
Land South of Newhouse Farm, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, RH12 4HL
Planning appeal 3266503 at Land South of Newhouse Farm, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, RH12 4HL (Horsham District Council) was dismissed on 30 July 2021 by Inspector Mageean A, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the AONB).
an outline application for the erection of 473 dwellings, with new access provided off the Crawley Road, plus associated areas of open space and landscaping. All matters reserved apart from access
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Mageean A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the AONB)
- whether this would be an appropriate location for development in relation to the spatial strategy for the District
- the effect of the development proposed on the capacity and safety of the local highway network
- whether the Council has a five-year supply of housing land
- other matters, including the benefits to be weighed in the planning balance
What decided it
The significant harm to the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald AONB was not outweighed by the collective housing and other benefits, so exceptional circumstances required by NPPF paragraph 177 were not demonstrated.
The substantial weight given to market housing, very substantial weight to affordable housing and substantial weight to self-build provision, together with other moderate benefits, did not amount to exceptional circumstances outweighing the significant harm to the landscape and scenic beauty of the AONB, and on the ordinary planning balance the conflict with the development plan as a whole was determinative.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1Policy 2Policy 3Policy 4Policy 15Policy 16Policy 24Policy 25Policy 26Policy 27Policy 30Policy 31Policy 32Policy 33Policy 34Policy 36Policy 37Policy 38Policy 39Policy 40Policy 42Policy 43Policy SD4
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 71Paragraph 110Paragraph 134Paragraph 176Paragraph 177Paragraph 219
- Judgments
- Compton Parish Council v Guildford Borough Council [2019] EWHC 3242 (Admin)
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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More decisions in Horsham District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2021
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- Allowed10 September 20266009593Land East of Spring Gardens, Washington, RH20 3BP
- Dismissed14 July 202660082071 Hilltop Cottages, The Mount, Ifield, RH11 0LF
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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