The Old School House, Vicarage Hill, Loxwood, West Sussex, RH14 0RG

Demolition of The Old School House. Construction of three detached dwellings with car parking and alterations to vehicle access

Authority: Chichester District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Reid J

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect that the proposed development would have on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
the integrity of the Arun Valley Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and Ramsar

What decided it

The unnecessary demolition of a non-designated heritage asset of local significance combined with the harmful impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, together with the conflict with the development plan and the likely adverse effect on the Arun Valley site's integrity, outweighed the benefits of additional housing.

the proposal's benefits of 2 more homes, jobs during construction and support for local services did not outweigh the harm to character and appearance and the conflict with the development plan

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: LP Policy 1, LP Policy 2, LP Policy 33, LP Policy 45, LP Policy 47

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.