Medvale Farm, Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, RH10 4QB

conversion of rural barn to one 3-bed dwellinghouse

Authority: Mid Sussex District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Lawrence R

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the development on landscape character, and the intrinsic beauty of the countryside
whether or not the proposal would be in a sustainable location having regard to sustainable transport options

What decided it

The harm to landscape character and scenic beauty in the High Weald National Landscape, combined with the unsustainable location relative to transport options, outweighed the modest housing benefits and triggered policy conflicts that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not overcome.

The modest but meaningful contribution to housing supply and self-build homes, together with biodiversity net gain and site improvements, carried only moderate weight and were outweighed by the harm to the High Weald National Landscape and the unsustainable location relative to sustainable transport options.

Framework references: 11, 82, 115, 189

Plan policies cited: Policy DP12, Policy DP15, Policy DP16, Policy DP26, Policy DP21, Policy THP4, Policy THP8

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.