®Planning appeal decision
Land to the East of The Orchards, Uckfield Road, Clayhill, BN8 5FR
Planning appeal 6009599 at Land to the East of The Orchards, Uckfield Road, Clayhill, BN8 5FR (Lewes District Council) was dismissed on 5 October 2026, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the site would be a suitable location for housing, having regard to the development plan and national policy, including the accessibility of services and facilities by sustainable and active modes of transport.
the erection of 8 self-build and custom housebuilding dwellings in a phased manner
- Authority
- Lewes District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- residential
- Postcode
- BN8 5FR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site would be a suitable location for housing, having regard to the development plan and national policy, including the accessibility of services and facilities by sustainable and active modes of transport
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
What decided it
The site's poor accessibility to the nearest settlement and day-to-day services by sustainable and active modes of transport, combined with the harm to rural character, means the benefits of housing delivery do not substantially outweigh the adverse effects under Policy S5(4).
The substantial weight given to the delivery of 8 custom and self-build dwellings in circumstances of housing land supply shortfall, and moderate weight to economic benefits, were outweighed by significant weight attached to the failure to promote sustainable patterns of movement and moderate weight to harm to character and appearance; the benefits did not substantially outweigh the adverse effects.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SP2Policy DM1Policy CP13Core Policy 11Policy DM25
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Policy S3Policy S5Policy HO7
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Lewes District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Dismissed15 July 20266005756Land Adjacent to Barley Cottage, Ringmer Road, Newhaven, BN9 9TN
- Dismissed22 October 20253360979Land to the East of The Orchards, Uckfield Road, Clayhill, East Sussex, BN8 5FR
- Dismissed18 August 20253360915Land Northeast of Brook Lodge, Theobalds Road, Burgess Hill, East Sussex, RH15 0SX
- Allowed18 March 20253347967Land at North Barnes Lane, North Barn Lane, Plumpton Green, BN7 3DX
- Dismissed11 September 20243338986Bramleys, Jackies Lane, Newick, East Sussex, BN8 4QX
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.