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Planning appeal decision

Allowed25 July 20253358025

Land to the East of Shortgate Lane, Laughton, Nr Ringmer, East Sussex, BN8 6BG

Planning appeal 3358025 at Land to the East of Shortgate Lane, Laughton, Nr Ringmer, East Sussex, BN8 6BG (Wealden District Council) was allowed on 25 July 2025 by Inspector Wilkinson S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Its location with reference to both national and local policies.

construction of 7No. detached self-build dwellings with associated access and infrastructure works

Authority
Wealden District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector
Wilkinson S
Postcode
BN8 6BG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Its location with reference to both national and local policies
  • Its effects on the character and appearance of the area
  • Its effects on the living conditions of future occupiers
  • Its effects on local wildlife with particular regard to bats and Great Crested Newts
  • Whether or not the appeal scheme includes biodiversity net gain
  • Whether or not the appeal scheme includes the necessary infrastructure required to support the development proposed

What decided it

The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, combined with the scheme's provision of self-build housing and sustainable location with good access to services, outweighed the conflicts with development plan policies protecting the countryside and favouring previously developed land.

The conflicts with policies WLP GD2, DC17, WCS SP01 and SPO14 (accorded limited and moderate weight respectively) were outweighed by the benefits of housing delivery in a sustainable location, the provision of self-build housing, appropriate ecological mitigation, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development arising from the undersupply of housing land.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
WCS SP01WCS SP07WCS SP08WCS SP013WCS SP014WCS6WLP DC17WLP EN1WLP EN27WLP GD2WCS12WCS14CS1WCS7
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 58Paragraph 63Paragraph 81Paragraph 110Paragraph 125Paragraph 135Paragraph 180Paragraph 186Paragraph 187Paragraph 192Paragraph 193Paragraph 232

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Wealden District Council

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

  1. Dismissed25 September 20266009517
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  2. Allowed15 September 20266008314
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  3. Dismissed17 July 20266007376
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  4. Allowed17 July 20266005293
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  5. Dismissed15 July 20266004901
    11 Station Road, Polegate, BN26 6AT

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.