- Decision
- dismissed, 3 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: A Wright
- Authority
- Horsham (South East)
- Appeal reference
- 6009817
- Application reference
- DC/26/0206
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Retention of top-surfaced hardcore parking area and re-siting of lorry storage containers let to local trades at an equestrian centre (part retrospective)
- Site context
- open countryside, national landscape, rural lane
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- S5(1)(b), S5(4), E4, N4
- Development plan policies
- Horsham District Planning Framework 2015 Policies 10, 25, 26, 30
- Main issues
- suitable location; National Landscape
Summary
Commercial container storage let to Horsham tradespeople, plus an expanded surfaced car park at an equestrian centre in the High Weald National Landscape, was dismissed. The storage was not a rural business needing a countryside location, and cross-subsidising the equestrian business did not make it diversification. Both local policies were read as consistent with S5 and E4. The scheme harmed National Landscape character under N4.
Issues and findings
- Transition. Parties were invited to comment; only the council responded (DL ¶3).
- Location: FAIL. HDPF 26 is "broadly consistent" with S5's rural-business-where-necessary category (DL ¶6), and HDPF 10 "generally accords with Policy E4" (DL ¶7). The containers "operate as a separate commercial activity which is not dependent on a rural location and could reasonably be accommodated within established employment areas" (DL ¶8). "Whilst they help with the viability of the existing equestrian business, the commercial storage use does not diversify a farming enterprise" (DL ¶9).
- National Landscape: HARM (N4). N4 "requires substantial weight to be placed on the importance of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of NLs" (DL ¶13). "the high protection afforded to NLs does not exist only in visually prominent locations … Although this erosion would be relatively localised, the proposed scheme would not conserve and enhance the natural beauty" (DL ¶20).
- Balance (S5(4)). "the benefits do not substantially outweigh the adverse effects, including to the character of the countryside, for proposals which do not fall within the categories outlined in Policy S5" (DL ¶23).
Planning balance
The route was S5(4) exceptional circumstances. Benefits: secure, affordable storage for local businesses and staff retention. Harms: unsuitable location and National Landscape harm (substantial weight under N4). The benefits did not substantially outweigh the harms.
What made the difference
The absence of any functional link between the storage and the land-based use. Cross-subsidy of an equestrian business is not enough under S5(1)(b) or E4. Storage ancillary to the equestrian use, or housed in a converted building, would have been assessed differently.
Transferable points
- S5(1)(b)/E4 necessity is not shown by income cross-subsidy of an existing rural business. The new use must itself need a rural location or be functionally linked (DL ¶8-9, 11).
- N4 protection of National Landscapes applies to localised, poorly visible erosion of character, not only prominent views (DL ¶20).
- Local countryside policies requiring development to be "essential to a countryside location" are consistent with S5 and keep full weight (DL ¶6-7).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| S5(1)(b) | fail | container storage for Horsham trades not dependent on a rural location and could be in employment areas; HDPF 26 "broadly consistent" with S5 (DL 6, 8, 11) | |
| E4 | fail | storage not functionally linked to equestrian or land-based use; income cross-subsidy of the equestrian business does not make it diversification (DL 7, 9, 11) | |
| N4 | harm | substantial | top-surfaced parking and a row of metal containers urbanise pastoral High Weald character; "high protection … does not exist only in visually prominent locations" (DL 13-21) |
| S5(4) | fail | outside S5 categories; benefits (affordable storage, staff retention) do not substantially outweigh harm (DL 23) |
Key facts
- Equestrian centre in High Weald National Landscape, St Leonard's Forest LCA (highly sensitive)
- Container rental subsidises a loss-making equestrian business and retains staff
- Previous appeal for container and caravan storage dismissed (APP/Z3825/W/25/3374616)
- Trial-hole photos did not prove extent of historic hardstanding; no lawful development certificate (DL 18)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.