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Planning appeal decision

Dismissed15 May 20253346513

Land to the north of Marling House, Station Road, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 6RT

outline permission for residential development of 29 dwellings (including a 40% affordable housing contribution)

Authority
Wealden District Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Nicholls H

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the location of development accords with the development plan
  • the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including on the High Weald National Landscape (HWNL)
  • the effects of the proposal on the setting of Marling House as a Non-Designated Heritage Asset (NDHA)

What decided it

The proposal's failure to conserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the High Weald National Landscape, which attracts great weight and constitutes a strong reason for refusal that disengages the tilted balance, combined with conflicts with development plan policies on settlement boundaries.

The significant benefits of housing delivery (29 dwellings), affordable housing (40%, above the 35% policy requirement), self-build housing provision, economic benefits, and sustainability improvements were outweighed by the failure to conserve the High Weald National Landscape, conflicts with development plan location policies, and modest harm to the setting of the Non-Designated Heritage Asset.

Framework references: 11, 189, 190, 216

Plan policies cited: Policy GD2, Policy DC17, Policy WCS6, Policy WCS9, Policy WCS13, Policy EN6, Policy EN27, Policy WAD1, Policy WAD2, Policy AFH1

Judgments cited: Monkhill Ltd v SSHLG & Anor (Rev 1) [2021] EWCA Civ 74 (28 January 2021); New Forest National Park Authority v SSHCLG & Anor [2025] EWHC 726 (Admin)

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every other appeal around it, with the full reasoning summary, the letter held on file, and the case law it applies.