A planning inspector has refused proposals for a housing development in Crowborough.
In a decision notice published earlier this month, a planning inspector dismissed an appeal connected with outline proposals to build six houses at a former plant nursery in Treblers Road.
While recommended for approval by officers at the time, the scheme was refused by Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee North in October last year, due to councillor concerns around its location within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
In a written decision at the time, a council planning spokesman said: “Whilst the council is not able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and as such the provision of housing would be a material consideration to be afforded weight in support of the scheme, the site lies within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) where great weight should be given to the conservation and enhancement of this protected landscape.
“The proposed development by reason of its layout, indicative scale, alterations to the access lane (including the removal and cutting back of hedgerow), encroachment beyond the built confines of the Crowborough settlement and change from a partly agricultural character to one that is more suburbanised would harm the character of the AONB undermining its intrinsic openness and natural beauty.”
The planning inspector agreed this harm would be significant, concluding it would outweigh the benefits of new housing.
The inspector said this remained the case even when considering the council’s overall shortfall of housing when compared to government targets; a position which results in a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ under national planning rules.
In their decision notice, the planning inspector said: “Given the council’s current housing land supply, the presumption in favour of sustainable development … applies. However, my findings in respect of the [AONB] provide a clear reason for refusing the proposed development.”
