®Planning appeal decision
Priory Fields, Monastery Lane, Storrington , West Sussex, RH20 4LN
Planning appeal 3344901 at Priory Fields, Monastery Lane, Storrington , West Sussex, RH20 4LN (Horsham District Council) was dismissed on 14 February 2025 by Inspector Rose C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for housing, with particular regard to the local development strategy.
convert volunteers storage barn into a dwelling
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Rose C
- Postcode
- RH20 4LN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for housing, with particular regard to the local development strategy
- the effect of the proposal on the integrity of the internationally designated Arun Valley Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, with particular regard to increased water abstraction
- the effect of the proposal on ecology and biodiversity on the site
What decided it
The adverse effect on the integrity of the Arun Valley Protected Sites due to increased water abstraction, combined with harm to ecology and biodiversity on the site, engaged the exception in footnote 7 to paragraph 11(d) of the Framework and provided a strong reason for refusal.
Although the presumption in favour of sustainable development was engaged due to the lack of five-year housing land supply, the harm to the Arun Valley Protected Sites and ecology and biodiversity were the prevailing considerations, and the exception in footnote 7 to paragraph 11(d) applied, removing the need to undertake the balancing exercise in paragraph 11(d)(ii).
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- HDPF Policy 3HDPF Policy 4HDPF Policy 26HDPF Policy 31NP Policy 1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 84Paragraph 11Paragraph 15
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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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.