Great Knelle Farm Whitebread Lane, Beckley, Beckley, TN31 6UB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the proposal is in accordance with the Council's spatial policy for new residential development
• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, with particular regard to its location within the High Weald National Landscape (HWNL)
• the development's effect on local ecology and protected species

What decided it

The previous planning permission had expired unimplemented before the current application was submitted, meaning the proposal must be assessed as new residential development in the countryside, which conflicts with spatial policy and lacks the necessary supporting information and justification.

The adverse impacts of granting planning permission—including conflict with spatial policy, harm to the character and appearance of the High Weald National Landscape, potential harm to local ecology, and the general lack of supporting information and detail—significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits, applying the tilted balance under paragraph 11(d) of the Framework notwithstanding the Council's inability to demonstrate five-year housing land supply.