®Planning appeal decision
Keepers Cottages, West Chiltington Lane, Coneyhurst, West Sussex, RH14 9DL
demolition of existing Keepers Cottages, and erection of one residential dwelling, access, landscaping and associated infrastructure
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Harley S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the new dwelling site is an appropriate location for a dwelling taking into account local and national spatial planning policy
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area taking into account the proposed new dwelling and the demolition of the Cottages
- The effect on the integrity of the Arun Valley Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, and Ramsar Site
What decided it
The Inspector could not confidently conclude that water neutrality had been demonstrated and therefore could not exclude adverse effects on the integrity of the Arun Valley Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site, which prevented the grant of permission under Habitat Regulations Assessment Regulation 63.
The spatial policy conflicts, harm to character and appearance, and inability to rule out adverse effects on protected habitats attracted very great weight and outweighed the limited benefits of housing delivery and economic benefits, which were further diminished by the net loss of one dwelling compared to the fallback position.
Framework references: 11
Plan policies cited: Policy 2 HDPF, Policy 3 HDPF, Policy 4 HDPF, Policy 25 HDPF, Policy 26 HDPF, Policy 28 HDPF, Policy 31 HDPF, Policy 32 HDPF, Policy 33 HDPF, Policy Ship HD1 Shipley Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2020
Judgments cited: Mansell v Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council [2017] EWCA Civ 1314
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.