Planning Appeal Win for 4 dwellings in Horsham

In 2014, I secured planning permission on appeal for the development of four no. family homes on a site in Horsham, West Sussex. The council failed to determine the planning application in good time, so we had no choice but to pursue a non‑determination appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

This planning appeal success unlocked land that initially appeared constrained by planning policy.

The objective was to demonstrate that the site represented a logical and sustainable opportunity for residential development, despite policy constraints.

The Planning Issue

Despite extensive engagement, the application sat undetermined for months while the council’s position shifted.

Initial pre‑application advice and policy comments characterised the site as “unsustainable” open countryside, only for officers to alter their stance at a very late stage, creating uncertainty and additional cost for the applicant.

Given the lack of progress, I prepared a written representations appeal, setting out a clear case that the proposal was a suitable small‑scale addition to the local housing stock and should not be treated as harmful countryside sprawl.

The Inspector accepted that, while the scheme did not strictly comply with certain local countryside restraint policies, it nonetheless made a meaningful contribution to the district’s housing land supply and, importantly, responded to demand for self‑build opportunities.

They concluded that there were no identifiable harms which significantly and demonstrably outweighed those benefits, and therefore planning permission should be granted.

For the client, the decision unlocked the potential of a site that had been written off as “unsustainable” and provided four new self‑build plots in a district with an acknowledged need for additional housing.

Planning Appeal Advice

If you have a development project and you have received a planning refusal, contact me for practical advice on whether an appeal is the right option and how to proceed.

Andrew Ransome MRTPI Email: andrew@adpltd.co.uk | Tel: 01206 242070

About me

Andrew Ransome is the planning director at ADP and is a chartered member of the RTPI, with over 22 years of town planning experience.

Andrew has extensive experience offering strategic planning solutions to challenging projects in both rural and urban settings. Follow him on Linkedin.

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