New five-bedroom home in Crowborough garden refused permission at appeal

In a decision notice published on Tuesday (February 28), a planning inspector has rejected a developer’s bid to build a five-bedroom house on garden land to the rear of a property known as West Ridge House in Goldsmiths Avenue.

The original application had been refused by Wealden District Council in May last year, due to concerns about its impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

The applicant sought to appeal this decision, arguing that the council’s housing shortfall meant the scheme should have been given a presumption in favour of approval.

This view was not shared by the planning inspector.

In their decision notice, the inspector said: “Having considered the benefits and adverse impacts of the scheme that is before me, I conclude that the significant harms I have identified, to the character and appearance of the area and to biodiversity, would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the proposal’s benefits