20 Buckwell Rise, Herstmonceux, BN27 4LY

proposed dwelling on garden land

Authority: Wealden District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning
Procedure: Written
Development: residential
Postcode: BN27 4LY

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposal on trees
the living conditions of the future occupiers of the development, with particular regard to whether a suitable standard of accommodation would be provided and the effect of leaf fall and shading

What decided it

The significant harm to character and appearance from backland siting and the substandard living conditions from inadequate floor space outweigh the moderate benefits of housing delivery in the context of a shortfall in five-year supply.

The adverse effects of granting planning permission, comprising significant harm to character and appearance and living conditions, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the important but small benefits of housing delivery and limited economic gains, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

Framework references: 11, 8, 139, 135, 232

Plan policies cited: Policy EN27 of the Wealden Local Plan (1998), Policies SPO13 and SPO14 of the Wealden District Local Plan Core Strategy (2013), Policy 12 of the Herstmonceux Parish Neighbourhood Plan (2019), Policies EN1 and EN12 of the Wealden Local Plan (1998), Policies SPO1 and WCS12 of the Wealden District Local Plan Core Strategy (2013)

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.