Land To The Rear of The Rectory High Street, Rusper, West Sussex, RH12 4PX

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed development would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Rusper Conservation Area
• Whether the proposal would preserve the setting of the Grade I listed building, St Mary Magdalene's Church, and the Grade II listed buildings, Ghyll Cottage, The Plough Inn and Rusper War Memorial
• The effect upon the setting of the non-designated heritage asset, the Old Rectory

What decided it

The less than substantial but considerable harm to the significance of the Grade I listed church and the Conservation Area, which was not outweighed by the public benefits of nine market dwellings in the context of the NPPF's heritage protection policies.

The less than substantial harm to the significance of the Grade I listed church and the Conservation Area, together with limited harm to the non-designated heritage asset, outweighed the social benefit of nine market dwellings and modest economic benefits; the heritage protection policies of the NPPF provided a strong reason for refusal under paragraph 11(d)(ii), displacing the tilted balance that would otherwise apply to the absence of a five-year housing land supply.