®Planning appeal decision
Land to the North of Lake Lane, Barnham, West Sussex, PO22 0AJ
Planning appeal 3368245 at Land to the North of Lake Lane, Barnham, West Sussex, PO22 0AJ (Arun District Council) was allowed on 24 December 2025 by Inspector Coles C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development with reference to the spatial strategy in the development plan.
demolition of stable block and erection of 7 No dwelling houses comprising 2 No three-bedroom detached bungalows and 5 No four- bedroom two-storey detached houses together with associated car parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Arun District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Coles C
- Postcode
- PO22 0AJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development with reference to the spatial strategy in the development plan
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The significant shortfall in five-year housing land supply (3.41 years) and the absence of material harm to character and appearance, combined with the relative sustainability of the location and efficient use of brownfield land, outweighed the conflict with the spatial strategy and neighbourhood plan policies under the tilted balance.
The adverse impacts of granting permission (conflict with spatial strategy and neighbourhood plan policies) did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits (housing delivery, brownfield reuse, sustainable location, no material harm to character and appearance, economic benefits), and the appeal was allowed.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy C SP1 of the Arun Local Plan 2011-2031Policy H8 of the Barnham and Eastergate Neighbourhood Development PlanPolicy HP1 of the Walberton Neighbourhood Development PlanPolicy D DM1 of the Arun Local Plan 2011-2031Policy D SP1 of the Arun Local Plan 2011-2031Policy HP13 of the Walberton Neighbourhood Development PlanPolicy ES5 of the Barnham and Eastergate Neighbourhood Development Plan
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 14Paragraph 125Paragraph 69Paragraph 70
- Judgments
- Vistry Homes Ltd v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing And Communities & Ors (Rev1) [2024] EWHC 2088 (Admin) (07 August 2024)
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
More decisions in Arun District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
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- Dismissed17 April 20263374471Land South of Ancton Lane, Middleton-on-Sea, PO22 6NB
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- Dismissed17 December 20253371832Longacre, The Street, Walberton, West Sussex, BN18 0PY
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.