Land adjacent to Seacox Cockers, The Mount, Flimwell, Ticehurst, East Sussex, TN5 7QP

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether or not the development plan would support the proposed housing in this location
• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, including having regard to its location within the High Weald National Landscape
• the effect of the development on the setting and heritage significance of the Grade II Listed Building, Seacox Cockers and Seacox Cottage
• whether or not future occupants of the dwellings would have satisfactory access to services and facilities by a range of transport modes
• whether or not the development would provide a safe and suitable vehicular access to the site, with particular regard to the provision of the visibility splay to the east

What decided it

The combination of unacceptable harm to the High Weald National Landscape, harm to the setting of the Grade II Listed Building, and failure to demonstrate safe and suitable highway access, which together constitute very substantial planning harms that are not outweighed by the moderate benefits of the scheme and conflict with the development plan as a whole.

The moderate benefits of the scheme (housing delivery, economic benefits, biodiversity net gain and reasonable access to services) were outweighed by the very substantial combined harms of conflict with the spatial strategy, substantial harm to the character and appearance of the High Weald National Landscape, less than substantial but meaningful harm to the setting and significance of the Grade II Listed Building, and unacceptable highway safety impacts.