®Planning appeal decision
Land south of Newhouse Farm, Old Crawley Road, Horsham, RH12 4HL
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.
Framework references: 11, 71, 110, 134, 176, 177, 219
Plan policies cited: Policy 1, Policy 2, Policy 3, Policy 4, Policy 15, Policy 16, Policy 24, Policy 25, Policy 26, Policy 27, Policy 30, Policy 31, Policy 32, Policy 33, Policy 34, Policy 36, Policy 37, Policy 38, Policy 39, Policy 40, Policy 42, Policy 43, Policy SD4
Judgments cited: Compton Parish Council v Guildford Borough Council [2019] EWHC 3242 (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.