Town Planner Pro
Free trial
Search appeal decisions

Planning appeal decision

Allowed4 August 20253362137

Church Of St. John The Evangelist, Church Road, Copthorne, Crawley, RH10 3RD

Planning appeal 3362137 at Church Of St. John The Evangelist, Church Road, Copthorne, Crawley, RH10 3RD (Mid Sussex District Council) was allowed on 4 August 2025 by Inspector Coles C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the heritage significance of St John the Evangelist Church as a Non-Designated Heritage Asset (NDHA) and the character and appearance of the area.

the installation of a 56 panel solar photovoltaic array on the south facing roof

Authority
Mid Sussex District Council
Appeal type
minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
utilities-energy · Other minor developments
Inspector
Coles C
Postcode
RH10 3RD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal on the heritage significance of St John the Evangelist Church as a Non-Designated Heritage Asset (NDHA) and the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The solar panels would not harm the heritage significance of the Non-Designated Heritage Asset as the key features contributing to its significance would remain unaffected, and the significant weight given to energy efficiency and renewable energy generation in the NPPF supports the proposal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy DP26Policy DP34Policy CNP1Policy CNP7Policy CNP11
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 135Paragraph 167Paragraph 168Paragraph 216

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

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.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

71 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision
An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter
Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.
Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app
Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.
Start your free trial

More decisions in Mid Sussex

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

  1. Allowed29 October 20266015120
    5, Dexter Drive, East Grinstead, RH19 4SU
  2. Dismissed22 October 20266012781
    11 Barnfield, Balcombe, RH17 6FW
  3. Dismissed9 October 20266010262
    Development Site At Former Tower Car Sales, Tower Close, East Grinstead, RH19 3BY
  4. Dismissed9 October 20266005209
    Lullings Cottage, West Hill, Ardingly, RH17 6QY
  5. Dismissed9 October 20266005206
    Lullings Cottage, West Hill, Ardingly, RH17 6QY

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.