®Planning appeal decision
Downsview Farmhouse, Sheepcote Lane, Chalvington, Hailsham, BN27 3SY
Planning appeal 3356789 at Downsview Farmhouse, Sheepcote Lane, Chalvington, Hailsham, BN27 3SY (Wealden District Council) was allowed on 9 June 2025 by Inspector Coles C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: 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.
Conversion and extension of an agricultural building to form a dwelling
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Coles C
- Postcode
- BN27 3SY
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in favour of sustainable development applied and the benefits of the scheme outweighed the policy conflicts with the outdated Local Plan.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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy DC7Policy DC8Policy GD2Policy DC17Policy WCS6Spatial Planning Objective SPO1Policy EN27Spatial Planning Objective SP013Policy WCS14
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 83Paragraph 84
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
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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.