Oaklands Farm, Newick Lane, Heathfield, TN21 8PU

one new self-build dwelling

Authority: Wealden District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Carpenter C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, including the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald National Landscape
whether the countryside location is suitable for new residential development

What decided it

The great weight required by the Framework to conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald National Landscape, combined with the unsuitability of the countryside location for residential development, outweighed the modest housing and economic benefits of the proposal.

the modest benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision were insufficient to outweigh the great weight required to conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald National Landscape and the harm from the unsuitable countryside location

Framework references: 182, 84, 11

Plan policies cited: Policy SPO1 of the Wealden District Core Strategy Local Plan 2013, saved Policy EN6 of the Wealden Local Plan 1998, saved WLP Policies GD2 and DC17, WCS Policy SPO7, saved WLP Policy EN1, WCS Policy WCS14

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.