Inspector Approves “Recycled” East Sussex Bungalow Plans

Thursday, 27 February 2025 15:54

By Huw Oxburgh LDR

A family has secured permission to erect a “recycled” bungalow in Punnetts Town.

In a decision notice published last week, a planning inspector approved proposals to build a three-bedroom bungalow on land to the east of Barley Mow Lane.

During the application’s initial hearing in March last year, applicant Dan Lambert-Gorwyn had told councillors how the home would allow him and his family to live close-by to his parents, whom he said required daily help and support.

Mr Lambert-Gorwyn had described the proposed dwelling as “recycled”, telling councillors about his intention to dismantle an existing bungalow in Aylesbury and relocate it to the site. He said every part of the building would be relocated, down to “the kitchen sink”.

While Mr Lambert-Gorwyn’s application had seen support from both the parish council and local ward members, Wealden District Council planning officers had recommended refusal.

This recommendation was made on the grounds the scheme would be “a crammed and contrived form of residential development”, which harmed the High Weald National Landscape.

In a report at the time, a Wealden planning spokesman said:

“The proposal would result in a visually crammed form of development that would conflict with the general pattern of development and not [be] sympathetic to the rural street scene in the designated landscape.

“The harm to High Weald National Landscape character is demonstrable and the environmental objective of sustainable development is a significant factor that weighs against the benefits of the proposed development at this rural location. Accordingly, it is recommended that planning permission be refused.”

Following this advice, the committee opted to refuse planning permission.

The inspector reached a different view, however, saying the scheme should be viewed in the context of its immediate surroundings, a small cluster of buildings near the centre of the village. In this context, the inspector said the bungalow would “assimilate well”.

The inspector judged the benefits of the scheme would not be outweighed by its harms, such as its position outside of any defined development boundary.

In their decision notice, the inspector said: “Having regard to the government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, the proposed development would have a moderate benefit of contributing a new dwelling towards the undersupply of housing in Wealden District.

Whilst this is a limited increase it is an increase, nonetheless, thus carries moderate weight in favour of the proposal.”

They added:

“Consequently, in this case, I find the harm identified does not outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole. Therefore, the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies which points towards the grant of planning permission.”

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/2023/3026/F on the Wealden District Council website.