®Planning appeal decision
Land North of Cowfold Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QJ
Planning appeal 3375975 at Land North of Cowfold Road, Coolham, West Sussex, RH13 8QJ (Horsham District Council) was allowed on 23 March 2026 by Inspector Heppell J, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to planning policy.
erection of 9no. 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom dwellings, including a mix of houses and bungalows, together with access from Cowfold Road, vehicle and cycle parking, landscaping and open space, and sustainable drainage
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Heppell J
- Postcode
- RH13 8QJ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to planning policy
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing supply (1.7 years) engaged the presumption in favour of sustainable development, and the adverse impacts of granting permission did not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
The moderate negative weight of conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy was outweighed by the moderate positive weight of delivering nine homes (seven with two or three bedrooms), contributing to the Council's critically low housing land supply of 1.7 years, together with benefits of open space, sustainable construction, landscaping and biodiversity enhancements, and economic benefits.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 1 HDPFPolicy 2 HDPFPolicy 3 HDPFPolicy 4 HDPFPolicy 25 HDPFPolicy 26 HDPFPolicy 32 HDPFPolicy 33 HDPFPolicy 37 HDPFPolicy Ship HD1 SPNPPolicy Ship HD2 SPNPPolicy Ship HD3 SPNP
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 14Paragraph 110
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
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What an account adds to this decision
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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.