Former Woods Fruit Farm, Goldbridge Road, Newick, East Sussex, BN8 4QP

for the demolition of Oakside and the erection of 69 dwellings, with associated access, parking, landscaping and infrastructure works

Authority: Lewes District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Jolly J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the proposal would be in a suitable location

What decided it

The erosion of rural character and beauty caused by development beyond the settlement boundary significantly and demonstrably outweighs the housing benefits, even where the Council lacks a five-year housing land supply.

The benefits of housing delivery, including affordable homes and sustainable location, were outweighed by the significant harm to the beauty and character of the countryside

Framework references: 11, 174

Plan policies cited: Policy H04 of the Newick Neighbourhood Plan 2015, Policy CT1 of the Lewes District Plan 2016, emerging Policy DM1 of the Lewes District Plan 2016

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.