®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Brighton Road, Newhaven , East Sussex , BN9 9UH
Planning appeal 3303865 at Land South of Brighton Road, Newhaven , East Sussex , BN9 9UH (Lewes District Council) was dismissed on 7 June 2023 by Inspector Smith J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development would provide a suitable location for housing in principle, based on the spatial strategy in the Lewes District Local Plan.
construction of 8 residential dwellings
- Authority
- Lewes District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Smith J
- Postcode
- BN9 9UH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would provide a suitable location for housing in principle, based on the spatial strategy in the Lewes District Local Plan
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the countryside, including the setting of the South Downs National Park
- whether the proposed development would protect or enhance biodiversity
What decided it
The inadequate evidence that biodiversity, particularly Great Crested Newts, would be adequately protected, combined with material harm to countryside character and the setting of the South Downs National Park, outweighed the moderate benefit of contributing eight dwellings to the housing shortfall.
the harm to the character and appearance of the countryside, including the setting of the South Downs National Park, and the potential harm to biodiversity, to which significant weight was given, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefit of contributing eight dwellings to the housing land supply shortfall
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DM1Policy CP10Policy CP11Policy CP8Policy DM24
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 174
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Lewes District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Allowed6 October 20266005671Land South of Green Road, Wivelsfield Green, RH17 7QL
- Dismissed5 October 20266009599Land to the East of The Orchards, Uckfield Road, Clayhill, BN8 5FR
- Allowed30 September 2026600986933 Sherwood Road, Seaford, BN25 3EH
- Dismissed2 September 20263355814Land South West of Hazel Wood, Jackies Lane, Newick, East Sussex, BN8 4FB
- Dismissed17 August 2026600805099 Allington Road, Newick, BN8 4NH
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.