Planning appeal decision
Whinlatter, St Marks Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5LU
Planning appeal 3342914 at Whinlatter, St Marks Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5LU (Wealden District Council) was allowed on 19 December 2024 by Inspector Glassar S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposed development is suitable for the site having regard to local and national policies for the location of housing.
an outline application for three self build private residential dwellings using existing access from St Marks Road, all matters reserved
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Glassar S
- Postcode
- TN2 5LU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development is suitable for the site having regard to local and national policies for the location of housing
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the High Weald National Landscape
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, combined with the absence of harm to the High Weald National Landscape and the modest housing benefits, engaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development under Framework paragraph 11(d)(ii).
The limited adverse impacts of the site's location outside the planning boundaries do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing provision in an area with undersupply, assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development indicates permission should be granted.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy GD2Policy DC17Policy EN6Policy EN27Spatial Planning Objectives SPO1Spatial Planning Objectives SPO13Policy WCS14
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 189
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 Wealden District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
- Dismissed25 September 20266009517Fairfield Cottage, Cross In Hand Road, Heathfield, TN21 0SN
- Dismissed14 April 20266003970Little Warren Barn, The Warren, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1UB
- Dismissed27 January 20263370047Hedera Cottage North Street, Punnetts Town, Heathfield, TN21 9DT
- Dismissed22 January 20263372124Birch Holt, Marlpits Lane, Ninfield, East Sussex, TN33 9LD
- Allowed31 December 20253366478Snatchells Farm, Cross In Hand Road, Heathfield, TN21 0LS
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.
®