Appeal 3353992
Public case and site metadata stored from the official casework database, including fields that were empty in the source release.
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Official decision document
The decision, section by section
7 sections
Read the development description and the Inspector’s text from the official decision PDF in source order. Source headings are retained where available. Personal and contact details are removed by an automated privacy filter; this is source material, not Rules for You analysis.
Section 01
Development description
described as ‘Retrospective permission for front dormer’.
Section 02
Decision
The appeal is dismissed.
Section 03
[name]
At the time of my site visit, I saw that the dormer had already been constructed. Retrospective as referred to in the application form and the decision notice does not constitute an act of development. I have dealt with the appeal on the basis that planning permission is being sought for the construction of the front dormer.
Section 04
Main Issue
The main issue is the effect of the dormer on the character and appearance of the area.
Section 05
Reasons
The appeal property is a semi-detached chalet bungalow located in a cul de sac of similar properties. Permission has previously been granted for two pitched roof dormers to the front of the dwelling. A single wide, flat roof dormer has been constructed instead and it is this dormer which is the subject of the appeal.
Although set in from the edges of the roof, the dormer occupies a significant proportion of the roof slope. Its scale in the context of this modest dwelling makes it a bulky and visually prominent structure. The dormer is an incongruous feature in a street where the majority of front-facing roof slopes remain largely unaltered. The adjacent property (No 18) is the exception, having been extended with a pair of flat roof dormers to the front. However, these additions are individually smaller than the appeal dormer and they are more subservient in appearance.
My attention is drawn to [address] where a large front dormer has been permitted (but has yet to be constructed). However, that development would be viewed in a street scene where a nearby property already has full width dormers. Comparable development does not exist in [address] and therefore the context is different. For this reason, the developments can be distinguished from one another.
I conclude that the dormer causes material harm to the character and appearance of the area. It therefore conflicts with Core Policy 11 of the Lewes District Local Plan: Part 1 [name] 2010-2030 and Policy DM25 of the Lewes District Local Plan: Part 2 Site Allocations and Development Management Policies. Amongst other things, these require high quality design, the scale, form, height and proportions of which is compatible with existing buildings and roofscapes.
Section 06
Other Matters
I note that no objections have been received from neighbours. However, this is neutral in the planning balance. A lack of objections does not equate to a lack of harm.
Section 07
Conclusion
For the reasons given above the appeal should be dismissed.
Planning inspector and document dates
The official casework attribution is grouped under a one-way keyed hash and shown only by its local identifier. Decision-letter dates and page references are extracted by fixed first-page rules and checked against that authoritative record.
Appeal Decision
- Extracted inspector · page 1
- Inspector attribution ID 40187No official casework-database value to compare
- Extracted decision date · page 1
- 26 February 2025Matches the official casework database
- Extracted site visit dates
- 11 February 2025 (page 1)
Reference and authority
Official identifiers and the planning authority recorded against this case.
- Case reference
- 3353992
- Application reference
- LW/24/0576
- Lead case reference
- Not recorded
- Planning authority
- Lewes District Council
- Planning authority code
- E07000063
Casework details
The casework, procedure, development and linking details supplied by the official record.
- Casework type
- Householder (HAS)
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development type
- Householder developments
- Appeal type reason
- 1. Refused planning permission
- Appeal reason
- Refusal
- Type detail
- Planning Appeals - Full
- Jurisdiction
- Transferred
- Link status
- Not Linked
Site and development
Published appeal-site measurements and planning designations, without the withheld precise location fields.
- Site area
- Not recorded
- Floor space
- Not recorded
- Number of residences
- 0
- Site in Green Belt
- No
- Agricultural holding
- Not recorded
- Affects setting of a listed building
- Not recorded
- Historic building grant made
- Not recorded
- Relates to a conservation area
- Not recorded
- Flooding is an issue
- Not recorded
- Site within an AONB
- Not recorded
- Site within an SSSI
- Not recorded
Decision and dates
The published outcome and every imported case date.
- Official decision
- Dismissed
- Decision category
- Dismissed
- Received date
- 17 October 2024
- Valid date
- 17 October 2024
- Start date
- 24 October 2024
- Planning authority decision date
- 17 October 2024
- Appeal decision date
- 26 February 2025
Case administration
Published recovery, call-in, costs and enforcement information for this case.
- Redetermined
- No
- Bespoke
- No
- Date recovered
- Not recorded
- Date not recovered or derecovered
- Not recorded
- Call-in date
- Not recorded
- Costs applied for
- No
- Enforcement grounds count
- Not recorded
- Enforcement grounds
- Not recorded
Source and catalogue history
When this record appeared in the rolling official release and when the catalogue stored it.
- Source
- Planning Inspectorate casework database
- Source data system
- Horizon
- Dataset status
- Current release
- Catalogue record ID
- 65275
- First seen
- 20 August 2026 at 14:25
- Last seen
- 20 August 2026 at 16:28
- Removed from release
- Not recorded
- Record created
- 20 August 2026 at 14:25
- Record updated
- 24 August 2026 at 16:21