®Planning appeal decision
Land at Half Stright Mile and The Drive, Maresfield, TN22 3DS
the development of eight detached six bedroom houses with detached garages, green open space and play area
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Davies G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site would be a suitable location for the development having regard to spatial strategy and accessibility
- the effect on the character and appearance of the area
- the dwelling sizes
- the effect on the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area
What decided it
The risk of increased visitor pressure causing harm to rare bird species in Ashdown Forest, combined with the absence of a secured mechanism to fund mitigation measures, provided a clear reason for refusal that outweighed the housing benefits.
the harm to the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area and harm to character and appearance carried greater weight than the benefits of providing 8 additional dwellings and modest economic benefits
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy GD2, Policy EN1, Policy DC17, Policy EN8, Policy EN27, Policy H5, Policy WCS6, Policy WCS14, Policy WCS12
Judgments cited: Ashdown Forest Economic Development LLP v SSCLG, WDC and SDNPA [2015] CO/3796/13
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.