®Planning appeal decision
Downsview Farmhouse, Sheepcote Lane, Chalvington, HAILSHAM, BN27 3SY
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Coles C
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal building is appropriate for residential use, having regard to its location and the nature and extent of works required to facilitate its occupancy as a dwelling
- Whether the development provides suitable living conditions for its occupants, with reference to outlook
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply, combined with the Framework's support for reusing redundant buildings in the countryside, meant the presumption in favour of sustainable development applied and the benefits of the scheme outweighed the policy conflicts with the outdated Local Plan.
The benefits of bringing a redundant building back into use, enhancing its setting, and contributing to housing supply were given significant weight, while the adverse impacts of residential rather than business use and significant modification to the building's appearance were given modest weight; the benefits outweighed the harms.
Framework references: 11, 83, 84
Plan policies cited: Policy DC7, Policy DC8, Policy GD2, Policy DC17, Policy WCS6, Spatial Planning Objective SPO1, Policy EN27, Spatial Planning Objective SP013, Policy WCS14
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.