Land at The Watermill, Halfway Brdige, Lodsworth, Petworth, GU28 9BP

the change of use of land for the siting of 1 static caravan, for human habitation for Gypsy and Traveller, with 1 touring caravan, associated hardstanding for parking (part retrospective)

Authority: South Downs
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: caravan-gypsy · Minor traveller and caravan pitches
Inspector: Dignan P

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
The effect in terms of flood risk

What decided it

The significant, unmitigated risk of serious flooding to the site and its occupants outweighed the benefits of meeting unmet gypsy and traveller accommodation need.

Substantial weight to the unmet need for traveller pitches and lack of a five-year supply, and moderate weight to the absence of alternative sites, were outweighed by the conflict with the development plan and the significant flood risk and landscape harm identified.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy SD1, Policy SD2, Policy SD4, Policy SD5, Policy SD7, Policy SD8, Policy SD33, Policy SD49

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.