Bulmer House, 4 Ramshill, PETERSFIELD, GU31 4AP

demolition of the existing Bulmer House and construction of a new 56 apartment extra care scheme and day centre with associated landscaping

Authority: South Downs
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: community-institutional · Major dwellings
Inspector: Hickey A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area including whether or not it would conserve or enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the South Downs National Park (SDNP)
Whether the proposal would provide satisfactory living conditions for the future occupiers with particular regard to outdoor amenity space

What decided it

The careful design of the proposed building, incorporating landscape-led principles, projecting wings with courtyards to break up massing, and appropriate scale and materials for its location, combined with adequate outdoor amenity space for the needs of future occupiers, meant the proposal would not harm the character and appearance of the area or the landscape and scenic beauty of the national park.

The benefits of providing a modern 56-apartment extra care scheme with day centre facilities, designed to high quality standards and achieving BREEAM Excellent rating, outweighed any concerns about increased built form, given the careful design integration, visual screening, and compliance with development plan policies.

Framework references: 11, 57, 177

Plan policies cited: Policy SD1, Policy SD2, Policy SD4, Policy SD5, Policy SD19, Policy SD28, Policy SD48, Policy BEP1, Policy HP3

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.