72a High Street, Battle, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AG

Planning appeal 3352882 at 72a High Street, Battle, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AG (Rother District Council) was dismissed on 20 June 2025 by Inspector James A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would result in the unjustified loss of a site for employment or community use.

change of use from office to residential, proposing a new three-bed maisonette

Authority: Rother District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: James A
Postcode: TN33 0AG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal would result in the unjustified loss of a site for employment or community use

What decided it

The appellant failed to demonstrate through a comprehensive and sustained marketing campaign that there is no reasonable prospect of continued employment or community use, contrary to Policy DCO1, and the loss of employment floorspace in the town centre significantly and demonstrably outweighs the housing benefit.

The adverse impacts of granting planning permission, namely the loss of employment floorspace conflicting with Framework support for economic growth, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of providing one new dwelling in an accessible location and making a small contribution to housing land supply, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy DEC3(i)Policy DCO1Policy BA1
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11

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.

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The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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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.