1 Hilltop Cottages, The Mount, Ifield, RH11 0LF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site would be in an appropriate location for the proposed dwelling with particular regard to the spatial strategy in the development plan, and accessibility to services and facilities
• Whether the proposed dwelling would provide occupants with adequate living conditions with particular regard to noise from aviation

What decided it

The proposed dwelling would constitute an isolated home in the countryside where future occupants would be heavily reliant on private car travel, conflicting with the Framework's objectives for managing growth to prioritise sustainable transport and avoid isolated homes, and this conflict is not outweighed by the modest housing and economic benefits.

The adverse impacts of the proposed development—conflict with the spatial strategy, reliance on private car travel and associated greenhouse gas emissions, and isolation from services—significantly and demonstrably outweigh the modest benefits of housing delivery, self-build provision, and economic benefits when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.