Ashurst Church of England School School Lane Ashurst Steyning West Sussex BN44 3AY Data via plota.co.uk

DC/26/1098 - Full Application Approved
Solar & renewables

Proposal

Installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. (Full Application). Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
9 Jul 2026
✓
Validated
5 Aug 2026
✓
Approved
30 Sept 2026

Approved on 30 Sept 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 1 Oct 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 2

Agricultural land, grade 2
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 3. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
National infrastructure project about 156 m away: Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm
The site is about 156 m from the project boundary. Generating station, decided. The project page says whether consent was granted.
Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.
Planning Inspectorate project page ↗
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Other new applications on this street

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Important details

Council
Horsham
Application type
Full Application
Postcode
BN44 3AY
Received
9 Jul 2026
Validated
5 Aug 2026
Ward
Steyning and Ashurst
Parish
Ashurst PC
Case officer
Show
Target decision
30 Sept 2026
Decision
Application Permitted
Decision date
30 Sept 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Aspect360 Ltd

How this decision compares

Decided in 56 days from validation, 25 days faster than Horsham's median of 81 for full applications. Approved, as 78% of full applications here are.

29%decided within 8 weeks
78%approved
329decided in the last year

Plota live figures for full applications decided by Horsham in the last twelve months, from validation. Horsham decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

5 neighbours consulted · Last counted 1 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15056166
Planning Portal ref
PP-15056166
Comments by
29 Sept 2026
Statutory expiry
30 Sept 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

8 previous applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

This property

Previous applications at this address

2025 Approved
Installation of new internal loft hatch within headmaster's office. (Listed Building Cons…
DC/25/1610
2025 Approved
Installation of new internal loft hatch within headmaster's office. (Listed Building Cons…
DC/25/1610
2025 Approved
Installation of 2no. air source heat pumps to the rear of the school and associated works…
DC/25/0673
2025 Approved
Installation of 2no. air source heat pumps to the rear of the school and associated works…
DC/25/0672
2025 Approved
Installation of 2no. air source heat pumps to the rear of the school and associated works…
DC/25/0673
2025 Approved
Installation of 2no. air source heat pumps to the rear of the school and associated works…
DC/25/0672
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2020 Approved
Batts Cottage School Lane Ashurst Steyning West Sussex BN44 3AY
Demolition of existing two bay brick garage. Erection of a three bay oak framed garage wi…
DC/20/0225
2020 Approved
Batts Cottage School Lane Ashurst Steyning West Sussex BN44 3AY
Demolition of existing two bay brick garage. Erection of a three bay oak framed garage wi…
DC/20/0225
Horsham
Planning Authority Score
6.6/10
Good
#75 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Horsham ranks #105 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Householder applications are more likely to be approved here than most councils, with a 97% approval rate vs 90% nationally.

More permissive than most councils
97% approved vs 90% nationally
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Horsham decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
92%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #83 of 296
97%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #33 of 296
72%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #105 of 296
43%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #170 of 296
75%
Minor dwellings approved
185 decided (1-9 homes)
91%
Major dwellings approved
35 decided (10+ homes)
91%
Change of use approved
78 decided
1,319
Total decisions
111 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings