Town Planner Pro
Free trial
Search appeal decisions

Planning appeal decision

Allowed21 August 20263352368

The Barn, Woodmans Rest, Bluemans Lane, Westfield, TN33 0SE

Planning appeal 3352368 at The Barn, Woodmans Rest, Bluemans Lane, Westfield, TN33 0SE (Rother District Council) was allowed on 21 August 2026 by Inspector King T, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether, on the balance of probability, the use was lawful within the meaning of section 191(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Authority
Rother District Council
Appeal type
minor · Lawful Development Certificate
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Householder developments
Inspector
King T

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether, on the balance of probability, the use was lawful within the meaning of section 191(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

What decided it

The appellant's evidence, taken as a whole and assessed on the balance of probability, demonstrated continuous occupation of the dwelling unit as a single dwellinghouse from at least June 2020 (within the four-year enforcement immunity period), supported by Council tax bills, utility bills, statutory declarations, and third-party evidence of occupation and maintenance.

What the Inspector cited

Judgments
Gravesham BC v SSE & O'Brien [1982]; FW Gabbitas v SSE and Newham LBC [1985] JPL 630

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 applied

The 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.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

17 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision
An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter
Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.
Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app
Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.
Start your free trial

More decisions in Rother District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Quashed On Legal Grounds13 July 20263351398
    Sowdens Gate Wood , Udimore Road , Udimore, East Sussex, TN31 6BG
  2. Notice varied and upheld13 July 20263350405
    Chestnut Wood, Udimore Road, Broad Oak, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 6EU
  3. Notice upheld24 June 20263353014
    Glebelands, Potmans Lane, Catsfield, East Sussex, TN33 9BH
  4. Notice varied and upheld22 June 20263351367
    Land at Bois De Saussac, Udimore Road , Udimore, Rye, Easy Sussex, TN31 6BG
  5. Notice upheld26 May 20263340691
    Hooters Moat Lane, Sedlescombe, Battle, TN33 0RY

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.