®Planning appeal decision
Land To The Rear of The Rectory High Street, Rusper, West Sussex, RH12 4PX
Planning appeal 3376429 at Land To The Rear of The Rectory High Street, Rusper, West Sussex, RH12 4PX (Horsham District Council) was dismissed on 23 March 2026 by Inspector Cliff D, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Rusper Conservation Area.
erection of 9 no. new build dwellings (2 no. 2-bedroom, 2 no. 3- bedroom, and 5 no. 4-bedroom houses) including the formation of a new vehicle access and associated landscaping works
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Cliff D
- Postcode
- 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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 34 of the Horsham District Planning Framework 2015Strategic Policy HA15 (RS1) of the emerging Horsham District Local Plan 2023-2040
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 212Paragraph 213Paragraph 215Paragraph 220
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.