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Dismissed22 February 20243320568

Land to Rear of Badgers Run, Withyham Road, Groombridge, TN3 9QT

Planning appeal 3320568 at Land to Rear of Badgers Run, Withyham Road, Groombridge, TN3 9QT (Wealden District Council) was dismissed on 22 February 2024 by Inspector Hobbs J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal upon existing trees/woodland.

4 Dwellings: 2 pairs of 3 bedroom semi-detached houses, with associated parking and landscaping

Authority
Wealden District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Hobbs J
Postcode
TN3 9QT

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal upon existing trees/woodland
  • the effect of the proposal on biodiversity and the local ecological network
  • the effect of the proposal on the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area (the SPA) and Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation (the SAC)

What decided it

The significant harms to existing trees/woodland and biodiversity and the local ecological network, which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing delivery when assessed against the Framework's policies taken as a whole.

The benefits of four dwellings in an accessible location and associated economic benefits were given considerable weight in cumulative terms due to the significant housing land supply shortfall, but were significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the substantial harms to trees/woodland and biodiversity and policy conflicts with CS Policy WCS12 and saved LP policies EN1, EN7 and EN15.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
LP Policy EN12CS Policy WCS12CS Policy WCS14saved LP Policies EN1saved LP Policies EN7saved LP Policies EN15
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 180Paragraph 186Paragraph 225

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 applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024

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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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.