®Planning appeal decision
Hurst House Copthorne Common Road, Copthorne, Crawley, RH10 3LG
Planning appeal 3308571 at Hurst House Copthorne Common Road, Copthorne, Crawley, RH10 3LG (Mid Sussex District Council) was dismissed on 13 October 2023 by Inspector Nicholls H, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the location of development accords with the development plan.
demolition of existing Dwelling and redevelopment with 6 x 2-bedroom flats and 1 x 3-bedroom self-build dwelling, together with improved access and parking within curtilage of site
- Authority
- Mid Sussex District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Nicholls H
- Postcode
- RH10 3LG
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the location of development accords with the development plan
- whether future occupiers would have access to facilities by a range of means other than private vehicle
- whether the development would be safe over its lifetime and avoid increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere
- whether or not the development would result in prejudicial effects on highway safety
What decided it
The scheme's location outside the built-up area boundary, combined with its poor sustainability credentials and absence of robust surface water drainage evidence, conflicts with the development plan taken as a whole, and the material considerations do not carry sufficient weight to justify a decision contrary to the plan.
The moderate weight attributed to housing and economic benefits was outweighed by the scheme's conflict with the development plan, particularly its location outside the settlement boundary and poor sustainability, with the Council's adequate five-year housing land supply removing a potential material consideration that could have altered the balance.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DP6Policy DP12Policy DP15Policy DP21Policy DP32Policy DP41Policy CNP2Policy CNP3Policy CNP4Policy CNP14
- Judgments
- Wheatcroft Ltd v SSE [1982]
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 Mid Sussex
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Dismissed16 September 20266009838Glebelands Field, Lodge Lane, Bolney, RH17 5RR
- Dismissed10 September 20266011079Moonshine Meadow, Cuckfield Road, Ansty, RH17 5AL
- Notice varied and upheld6 July 20263376721Land Fir Trees Place, Turners Hill Road, Crawley Down, West Sussex, RH10 4HQ
- Dismissed16 June 20266002763Woodcote, Yew Lane, East Grinstead, RH19 2AZ
- Dismissed30 April 20266002774Rocklands, Church Lane, Ardingly, West Sussex, RH17 6UP
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.