Juhring And Hobbs Field At Saint Hill Manor Saint Hill Road East Grinstead West Sussex Data via plota.co.uk

DM/25/2223 - Full Application Approved

Proposal

Change of use of vacant land to event area for use with installation of permanent infrastructure and reinforced ground surfacing (cellular paving grid) to facilitate the erection of annual marquee structures including ground level alterations, wash block and toilets, generator enclosure and concrete ring together with the erection and dismantling of the temporary marquee structure themselves (for a total maximum period of 84 days per year) and overflow car parking for the Church and neighbouring sports clubs consisting of reinforced ground surfacing (cellular paving grid) for up to 683 car spaces (comprising up to 113 cars (Area A) for no more than 30 days per annum, 313 cars (Areas A & B) for no more than 13 days per year and up to 683 cars (Areas A, B & C) for no more than 7 days per year), construction of a new access and internal road, sustainable surface water and foul drainage provision, associated landscaping and ecological enhancements. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
2 Sept 2025
✓
Validated
5 Sept 2025
✓
Approved
21 Oct 2026

Approved on 21 Oct 2026 · Planning Committee · Last checked 22 Oct 2026

Planning committee

Decided by Mid Sussex Planning Committee on 9 Jul 2026.

Approved by 8 votes to 1

As officers recommended.

  • Officers advised approval because economic, biodiversity and parking benefits outweighed limited landscape and heritage harm.
  • Objectors raised landscape, heritage, traffic, noise, wildlife and environmental concerns, while supporters cited economic, cultural and parking benefits.
  • The committee approved permission, with 8 voting for, 1 against and 2 abstaining.
Read how the committee decided The proposal, site history, officers’ assessment, representations, committee debate, vote and decision. Includes the meeting recording, from 1:04:29 where this application was taken

Source: Plota analysis of Mid Sussex's committee minutes of 9 Jul 2026.

Site constraints 4

High Weald National Landscape
Great weight to conserving the landscape; major development restricted.
Previously an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is still the designation in law. Since 2023 authorities must seek to further its purpose, not merely have regard to it.
Priority habitat: Deciduous woodland
A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.
Habitat network: Other Priority Habitats - NEZ
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 3, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 17 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England 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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Important details

Council
Mid Sussex
Application type
Full Application
Received
2 Sept 2025
Validated
5 Sept 2025
Ward
Ashurst Wood And East Grinstead South
Parish
East Grinstead
Case officer
Show
Target decision
5 Dec 2025
Decision
Permission
Decision date
21 Oct 2026
Decision level
Planning Committee
Applicant
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 411 days from validation, 345 days slower than Mid Sussex's median of 66 for full applications. Approved, as 87% of full applications here are.

45%decided within 8 weeks
87%approved
6%go to committee

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

Public comments

257comments received
13 objecting2 neutral242 supporting

94% support · above the UK average of 16%

289 neighbours consulted · Last counted 22 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
10 Oct 2025
Committee
9 Jul 2026
Statutory expiry
5 Dec 2025
Env. assessment
No
Mid Sussex
Planning Authority Score
4.8/10
Below average
#161 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Mid Sussex ranks #150 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (93%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Mid Sussex decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
92%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #87 of 296
93%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #132 of 296
64%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #150 of 296
44%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #179 of 296
80%
Minor dwellings approved
83 decided (1-9 homes)
89%
Major dwellings approved
27 decided (10+ homes)
82%
Change of use approved
33 decided
1,115
Total decisions
93 refused in the year to March 2026