®Planning appeal decision
Glebelands, Potmans Lane, Catsfield, TN33 9BJ
change of use (part retrospective) and extension of an existing agricultural building to a live/work residential unit in support of the farming and tourism business for a temporary period of 3 years
- Authority
- Rother District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- residential · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Cowley R
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether there is an essential need for a rural worker to live at or near their place of work in the countryside, with particular regard to: the functional needs of the business; the availability of other suitable existing accommodation in the area; the financial soundness of the unit and agricultural activity
- Whether the site represents an appropriate location for a dwelling having regard to the Council's spatial strategy and access to local services and facilities by public transport, walking and cycling
- The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The appellant failed to demonstrate an essential functional and financial need for a rural worker's dwelling and the site was found to be an inappropriate, poorly accessible location for a dwelling, and this harm significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits.
The significant weight attributed to the harm and development plan conflict arising from the lack of essential need and the inappropriate location significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits (housing contribution, reuse of building, economic and energy efficiency benefits), so the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
Framework references: 8, 11, 80, 84, 88, 89, 109, 110, 180
Plan policies cited: Policy RA3, Policy RA3(iii), Policy RA3(iii)(a)(i), Policy RA3(iii)(a)(ii), Policy RA3(iii)(a)(iii), Policy RA3(iii)(a)(iv), Policy OSS1, Policy OSS3, Policy OSS4, Policy PC1, Policy SRM1, Policy TR3, Policy RA2, Policy EN1, Policy DEN1
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.