Camellia Cottage, Chillies Lane, High Hurstwood, Uckfield, TN22 4AB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the site is a suitable location for the proposed development, having regard to development plan policy and accessibility to services and facilities
• the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, including whether the proposal would conserve and enhance the landscape, scenic and natural beauty of the High Weald National Landscape
• the effect of the proposed development on the significance of the non-designated heritage asset
• the effect of the proposed development on highway safety
• the effect of the proposed development on ecology, with regard to protected species
• the effect of the proposed development on the living conditions of the occupants of Camellia Cottage and Quercus, with regard to outlook

What decided it

The site's unsuitability as a location for housing due to its position outside development boundaries, poor accessibility to services and facilities, and the significant harms to landscape character, heritage significance, highway safety and ecology collectively outweighed the limited housing benefits in circumstances where the tilted balance applied.

The adverse impacts of the proposal—comprising unsuitability of location, harm to character and appearance of the National Landscape, harm to the non-designated heritage asset, undemonstrated highway safety, and unresolved ecology concerns—significantly and demonstrably outweighed the limited benefits of delivering a single dwelling and associated social and economic benefits, when assessed against the policies of the Framework as a whole.