®Planning appeal decision
Greenhouse, 81 High Street, Heathfield, TN21 8JA
Planning appeal 3352611 at Greenhouse, 81 High Street, Heathfield, TN21 8JA (Wealden District Council) was allowed on 6 August 2025 by Inspector Lawrence R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the living conditions of the occupier(s) of no 77 High Street, with particular regard to outlook.
the demolition of existing single storey building and erection of a three- storey building with class E retail unit at ground floor and four residential flats above
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Lawrence R
- Postcode
- TN21 8JA
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the development on the living conditions of the occupier(s) of no 77 High Street, with particular regard to outlook
- the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
- whether the proposal would provide an acceptable standard of accommodation for future occupiers, with particular regard to outlook and natural light, in the context of the proximity to off-site trees
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, combined with the substantial benefits of delivering four additional homes and an enlarged retail unit in a highly sustainable brownfield location, outweighed the considerable harm to neighbouring living conditions when assessed under the tilted balance in paragraph 11(d)(ii) of the Framework.
The considerable harm to the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers, to which significant weight was attributed, was outweighed by the benefits of delivering four additional homes on a brownfield site in a sustainable location and maintaining retail vitality, assessed under the tilted balance triggered by the Council's shortfall in five-year housing land supply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy EN27 of the Wealden Local Plan 1998Spatial Planning Objective SPO13Policy WCS14 of the adopted Wealden Core Strategy Local Plan 2013
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 125
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 2025
- Allowed15 September 20266008314Land off Eastbourne Road, Polegate, BN26 5DD
- Dismissed22 July 20266006344Dog Walking Field, Burnt Oak Road, High Hurstwood, TN22 4AE
- Allowed2 June 20266004127The Old Nursery, North Street, Cogger Cross, Horam, tn210lg
- Allowed31 October 20253367636Land West of Limestone Way, Maresfield, East Sussex, TN22 2DP
- Allowed21 October 20253363138Perryhill Nursery, Perryhill Lane, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4JP
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.