Swains Farm Brighton Road Henfield West Sussex BN5 9RP Data via plota.co.uk

DC/25/1661 - Prior Approval CoU Agric to Dwelling C3 Approved

Proposal

Prior Notification for change of use of an agricultural building to 4no dwellinghouses (C3 Use Class). Data via plota.co.uk

Track application Save this application and get an email when its status or decision changes. Alerts nearby Get email alerts for new planning applications near this address.
View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
15 Oct 2025
✓
Approved
8 Dec 2025

Approved on 8 Dec 2025 · Last checked 11 Oct 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Associated applications 3

Site constraints 7

Public footpath about 11 m away
Matters where it crosses or adjoins the site: obstructing a path without a diversion order is an offence, and work cannot start until the order is confirmed.
Compiled from highway authority data, not the legal definitive map. A few authorities have not published, so no path shown is not proof there is none.
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 677 m away: Rampion Offshore Wind Farm
The site is about 677 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 ↗
Habitat network: Other Priority Habitats - NEZ
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
1 listed building within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: Swains Farmhouse, Grade II, about 41 m from the postcode pin
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Historic England ↗
Also on the record
Priority habitat about 18 m away: Deciduous woodland; Open access land about 11 m away: Access Land - Combined Open Country, Registered Common Land and Section 16 Dedicated Land. MoD Byelaw, Section 28 Exclusions, Racecourses and Aerodromes and ECP Margin have been removed..
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 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.

Work with planning data?

Every application in Horsham - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.

About Plota's data service

Other new applications on this street

23 Jun 2026Withdrawn

Hundred Steddle Barn Brighton Road Henfield West Sussex BN5 9RT

Outline Application for redevelopment of the site to provide up to 1 no dwelling...

DC/26/0905
9 Jun 2026Pending

Woodmancote Parish Hall Brighton Road Woodmancote Henfield West Sussex BN5 9SR

Deed of Discharge for removal of water neutrality associated with planning permi...

S106/26/0030
8 Jun 2026Approved

Nut Knowle Cottages Brighton Road Woodmancote West Sussex BN5 9SS

Installation of acoustic fencing with pedestrian and access gates to replace the...

DC/26/0918
18 May 2026Refused

Henfield Lodge Brighton Road Henfield West Sussex BN5 9SU

Prior Notification for the Change of Use of an Agricultural Building to a single...

DC/26/0806

Nearby new applications

31 Aug 2026Pending

Swains Farm Brighton Road Henfield West Sussex BN5 9RP

Application for Approval of Details Reserved by Condition 1 to approved applicat...

DISC/26/0296
19 Aug 2026Pending

Swains Farm Brighton Road Henfield West Sussex BN5 9RP

Demolition of existing and erection with 4no. dwellinghouses and associated land...

DC/26/1003

Important details

Council
Horsham
Application type
Prior Approval CoU Agric to Dwelling C3
Postcode
BN5 9RP
Received
15 Oct 2025
Validated
15 Oct 2025
Ward
Henfield
Parish
Henfield PC
Case officer
Show
Target decision
9 Dec 2025
Decision
Prior Approval Required and PERMITTED
Decision date
8 Dec 2025
Applicant
Show
Agent
Manorwood

How this decision compares

Decided in 54 days from validation, 25 days slower than Horsham's median of 29 for prior approvals. Approved, as 91% of prior approvals here are.

91%decided within 8 weeks
91%approved
200decided in the last year

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

Public comments

No public comments yet.

5 neighbours consulted · Last counted 11 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14410222
Planning Portal ref
PP-14410222
Comments by
21 Nov 2025
Statutory expiry
9 Dec 2025
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

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

This property

Previous applications at this address

2025 Refused
Removal of modern agricultural building and replacement with 4 new-build residential dwel…
DC/25/0781
2025 Refused
Removal of modern agricultural building and replacement with 4 new-build residential dwel…
DC/25/0781
2025 Approved
Prior Notification for Change of Use of Agricultural Building to 8no. dwellinghouses.
DC/25/1039
2025 Approved
Prior Notification for Change of Use of Agricultural Building to 8no. dwellinghouses.
DC/25/1039
2025 Withdrawn
Prior Notification for Change of Use of Agricultural Building to a 8 no dwellinghouses.
DC/25/0704
2025 Withdrawn
Prior Notification for Change of Use of Agricultural Building to a 8 no dwellinghouses.
DC/25/0704
2024 Approved
Prior Notification for demolition of existing rear lean-to extension and change of use of…
DC/24/1764
2024 Approved
Prior Notification for demolition of existing rear lean-to extension and change of use of…
DC/24/1764
2024
Demolition of agricultural building and erection of 4nos residential dwellings.
DC/24/1164
2024
Demolition of agricultural building and erection of 4nos residential dwellings.
DC/24/1164
2024 Withdrawn
Removal of existing agricultural building to be replaced with 4No. new buildings comprisi…
DC/24/0806
2024 Withdrawn
Removal of existing agricultural building to be replaced with 4No. new buildings comprisi…
DC/24/0806
2024 Approved
Construction of Sand School for Equine Use adjacent to Existing Stables
DC/24/0355
2024 Approved
Construction of Sand School for Equine Use adjacent to Existing Stables
DC/24/0355
2022 Approved
Prior Notification for Change of Use of an Agricultural Building to residential (Use Clas…
DC/22/2118
2020 Approved
Prior notification for the demolition of an agricultural building of steel frame and conc…
DC/20/0031
2020 Approved
Prior notification for the demolition of an agricultural building of steel frame and conc…
DC/20/0031
2019 Approved
Conversion of existing garage into habitable living space for the use of an annex ancilla…
DC/19/0282
2019 Approved
Conversion of existing garage into habitable living space for the use of an annex ancilla…
DC/19/0282
2019 Approved
Erection of a stable block containing 4.no loose boxes and tack room store
DC/19/0253
2019 Withdrawn
Conversion of existing garage into habitable living space for the use of an annex ancilla…
DC/19/0283
2016 Approved
Extension and repairs to dwelling, together with new garage and garden store, driveway an…
DC/16/2282
2016 Approved
Extension and repairs to dwelling, together with new garage and garden store, driveway an…
DC/16/2282
2016 Approved
Two storey rear extension (Listed Building)
DC/16/2283
2016 Approved
Two storey rear extension (Listed Building)
DC/16/2283
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2019 Approved
Building A Swains Farm Brighton Road Henfield BN5 9RP
Prior approval for the change of use of agricultural building to 4 residential dwellings
DC/19/2541
2019 Approved
Building A Swains Farm Brighton Road Henfield BN5 9RP
Prior approval for the change of use of agricultural building to 4 residential dwellings
DC/19/2541
Horsham
Planning Authority Score
6.6/10
Good
#75 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

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