Planning appeal decision
Wagtails Farm, Okehurst Road, Billingshurst, RH14 9BW
Planning appeal 6010187 at Wagtails Farm, Okehurst Road, Billingshurst, RH14 9BW (Horsham District Council) was dismissed on 21 September 2026 by Inspector T Bennett, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether there is a functional need for a dwelling to accommodate a rural worker.
Siting of temporary rural workers' dwelling and associated works
- Authority
- Horsham District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- agricultural
- Inspector
- T Bennett
- Postcode
- RH14 9BW
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether there is a functional need for a dwelling to accommodate a rural worker.
What decided it
The appellant failed to demonstrate an essential functional need for a rural worker to live permanently on site.
The limited benefits from the dwelling's contribution to housing supply and the small-scale economic benefits to the rural enterprise did not outweigh the harm arising from conflict with the development plan and the Framework.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 20Policy 1Policy 3Policy 4Policy 26
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Policy S5Policy HO11Policy S3Policy E2Policy E4
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 Horsham District Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
- Allowed29 October 20266008830Staalcot Farm Stall House Lane, Stall House Lane, North Heath, RH20 2HR
- Dismissed19 October 20266007051Bentley House, North Heath Lane Industrial Estate, North Heath Lane, Horsham, RH12 5QE
- Dismissed15 October 20266012640The Fords, Bonfire Hill, Southwater, RH13 9BU
- Dismissed13 October 20266008205Barnards Nursery, Rock Road, Washington, RH20 3BH
- Allowed12 October 20266011680Land at High Chaparral, London Road, Washington, RH20 3BP
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.
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