Broad Oak Lodge, Chitcombe Road, Brede, TN31 6EU

demolition of existing outbuildings for the provision of four new 4 bed dwellings and one new 2 bed dwelling. All with associated proposed parking and landscaping

Authority: Rother District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: James A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

What decided it

The site is located within the High Weald AONB, a protected area for the purposes of footnote 7 of paragraph 11 of the Framework, and the proposals would fail to conserve or enhance its landscape and scenic beauty, providing a clear reason for refusal that outweighs the housing supply benefits.

The modest housing benefits and economic investment (moderate weight) were outweighed by the significant harm to the character and appearance of the area and failure to conserve or enhance the AONB landscape (great weight), with the AONB protection providing a clear reason for refusal under paragraph 11d(i) of the Framework

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy OSS4, Policy EN1, Policy EN3, Policy DEN2

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.