Outbuilding Appeal Allowed in Setting of Listed Group

A successful outcome for clients when their appeal against Mid Sussex District Council for a garage with accommodation above was allowed. One of the key issues for refusing the application related to whether the development would preserve the setting of the grade II listed buildings that once formed a farmstead and harm to its remaining rural setting despite the LPA acknowledging that it had already substantially compromised.. The Inspector agreed with the stance in our appeal statement stating that:

"Accordingly I find that the new building would not look out of place within the grounds of the listed buildings, given that those grounds now have a very domesticated appearance. That domestication being the product of these heritage assets’ evolution from agricultural buildings in a farmland setting to residential premises in a heavily built up area ...  and I am therefore not persuaded that this development, given its scale and siting, would result in an unacceptable loss of the garden setting to these heritage assets.''