®Planning appeal decision
Hedera Cottage North Street, Punnetts Town, Heathfield, TN21 9DT
Planning appeal 3370047 at Hedera Cottage North Street, Punnetts Town, Heathfield, TN21 9DT (Wealden District Council) was dismissed on 27 January 2026 by Inspector James A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the location, land use and amount of proposed development would be acceptable with particular regards to the character and appearance of the surrounding area and High Weald area National Landscape.
Permission in principle application for the erection of up to 5 dwellings
- Authority
- Wealden District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- James A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the location, land use and amount of proposed development would be acceptable with particular regards to the character and appearance of the surrounding area and High Weald area National Landscape
- whether the location, land use and amount of proposed development would be acceptable with particular regards to the spatial strategy and accessibility to services
What decided it
The harm to the High Weald National Landscape provides a strong reason for refusing the development under Framework paragraph 11.d(i), displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development that would otherwise apply due to the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
The benefits of housing delivery and self-build provision were outweighed by the significant harm to the High Weald National Landscape and conflict with the spatial strategy for locating residential development in accessible settlements with sustainable transport connections.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Saved Policy EN1Saved Policy EN6Saved Policy EN27Saved Policy GD2Saved Policy DC17Policy SPO1Policy SPO7Policy SPO13Policy WCS2Policy WCS6Policy WCS14
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 189Paragraph 82Paragraph 11
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 Wealden District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed25 September 20266009517Fairfield Cottage, Cross In Hand Road, Heathfield, TN21 0SN
- Dismissed14 April 20266003970Little Warren Barn, The Warren, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1UB
- Dismissed22 January 20263372124Birch Holt, Marlpits Lane, Ninfield, East Sussex, TN33 9LD
- Allowed31 December 20253366478Snatchells Farm, Cross In Hand Road, Heathfield, TN21 0LS
- Allowed22 December 20253369881Land Adj 125 Eastbourne Road, Willingdon, East Sussex, BN20 9ND
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.