Planning appeal decision
Land East of Coolham Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QD
Planning appeal 3342051 at Land East of Coolham Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QD (Horsham District Council) was dismissed on 9 October 2024 by Inspector Bowyer J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.
Demolition of an agricultural building and the erection of two dwellings
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Bowyer J
- Postcode
- RH13 8QD
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The significant, albeit localised, harm to the rural character and appearance of the area caused by the conspicuous encroachment of residential development into the countryside, which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the modest housing benefits when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.
The adverse impacts of the proposal, particularly significant harm to rural character and appearance, would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing provision (limited by the prior approval fallback), social and economic benefits, biodiversity net gain and energy efficiency when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 25Policy 26Policy 31Policy 32Policy 33Policy 15Policy Ship HD3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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 appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Horsham District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Allowed29 October 20266008830Staalcot Farm Stall House Lane, Stall House Lane, North Heath, RH20 2HR
- Dismissed19 October 20266007051Bentley House, North Heath Lane Industrial Estate, North Heath Lane, Horsham, RH12 5QE
- Dismissed15 October 20266012640The Fords, Bonfire Hill, Southwater, RH13 9BU
- Dismissed13 October 20266008205Barnards Nursery, Rock Road, Washington, RH20 3BH
- Allowed12 October 20266011680Land at High Chaparral, London Road, Washington, RH20 3BP
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.
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