The Daily Decision Digest: 15 July 2026
AppealBase found 44 appeal decisions yesterday, with 12 allowed, granting permission for 21 new residential units — the selected decisions below cover rural worker dwellings, Green Belt redevelopment, tilted balance housing cases, nutrient neutrality, BNG and self-build controls, Class Q in ancient woodland, HMOs and serviced accommodation.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: Green Belt PDL scheme allowed
Permission was granted for four single-storey houses on previously developed land in the Green Belt. The Inspector found the scheme was not inappropriate development under Framework paragraph 154(g), despite limited openness harm, and allowed it under the tilted balance. (6005399)
Horsham: Four homes allowed at Rusper under tilted balance
Outline permission was granted for four dwellings on the edge of Rusper. The Inspector found limited localised landscape harm and conflict with the spatial strategy, but gave significant weight to the Council’s severe housing land supply shortfall, recorded at about one year, and also addressed the updated Natural England position on Sussex North water neutrality. (6006131)
East Lindsey: Permission in principle allowed for up to nine homes
Permission in principle was granted for up to nine dwellings on land outside Orby’s developed footprint. The Inspector found conflict with settlement, countryside and transport policies, but the Council’s 2.96-year housing land supply meant the tilted balance applied; the housing benefit attracted substantial weight despite reliance on private car travel and countryside encroachment. (6005743)
North Kesteven: Rural worker condition removed after hearing
A hearing decision was allowed for the permanent retention of a rural worker’s dwelling. The Inspector found conflict with policy on commercial viability and business planning, but gave significant weight to the site’s history, earlier acceptance of the need for on-site occupation, the “lifestyle business” context and investment in the enterprise. (6006062)
Dorset: Nutrient mitigation secured by condition for rural worker accommodation
Temporary rural worker accommodation at Muston Down Farm was allowed, with the main issue being nitrates and the integrity of the Poole Harbour SPA and Ramsar site. The Inspector accepted updated nutrient neutrality evidence and found that native woodland planting, a package treatment plant, management measures and water efficiency could be secured by conditions rather than a legal agreement, with Natural England confirming that approach. (6004471)
Lewes: Self-build description not enough to avoid BNG
An outline appeal for two self-build dwellings near Barley Cottage, Newhaven, was dismissed. Although the Inspector gave limited weight to landscape and green-buffer harm, the appeal failed on biodiversity: the self-build description was not sufficient to secure the statutory exemption from BNG, no legal mechanism was provided, and the evidence did not adequately address possible priority habitat loss following earlier clearance. (6005756)
Mole Valley: Green Belt and listed-building setting harms outweighed benefits
A detached dwelling in Charlwood was dismissed. The Inspector found the scheme was not substantially on previously developed land, did not qualify as an acceptable replacement building, would harm Green Belt openness, was not in a sustainable location and would cause less than substantial harm to the setting of Grade II listed Fullbrook Cottage; very special circumstances were not demonstrated. (6008802)
Ashford: Class Q refused within ancient woodland
A Class Q prior approval appeal for conversion of a barn to one dwelling was dismissed. The Inspector accepted that the proposed building operations were reasonably necessary and not tantamount to rebuilding, but found the location within ancient woodland made the change of use undesirable because residential occupation would likely deteriorate an irreplaceable habitat, with no wholly exceptional reasons or compensation strategy. (6006719)
Harrow: Eight-person HMO refused under new local plan policy
The change from a six-person C4 HMO to an eight-person sui generis HMO was dismissed. The Inspector applied the newly adopted Harrow Local Plan, finding that the PTAL 4-6 requirement in Policy HO10 was a specific locational criterion, and also found harm from constrained outlook, mutual overlooking and the cumulative activity of two high-occupancy HMOs in a small cul-de-sac. (6005481)
Solihull: Serviced accommodation treated as four dwellings
An appeal for change of use of a house to serviced accommodation was dismissed. The Inspector treated the four lockable rooms, each with facilities for day-to-day private domestic existence, as four independent dwellinghouses by reference to Moore, and found their 20-24 sqm floorspaces substantially below the NDSS benchmark, even though the Council had not adopted the standard. (6007909)
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