Horsham District Council has formally submitted a complaint to the Planning Inspectorate identifying a number of failings in the Inspector’s decision letter which approved outline planning permission for 800 homes and sports and leisure facilities at the Horsham Golf and Fitness Club near Southwater, West Sussex.
It was due to these failings that the Council felt it necessary to initiate a judicial review challenging the Inspectorate’s July 2025 ruling. Whilst the Court agreed with the Council that the Planning Inspector had ‘erred in law’ by failing to properly consider the Southwater Neighbourhood Plan, it concluded that these errors would not have altered the Inspector’s ultimate decision, given his assessment of the planning balance in favour of the development.
The High Court declined to allow the case to proceed to a full hearing, however the concession that the Inspector had made an error in law is an important outcome that justified the action taken by the Council.
Whilst the Council has decided not to pursue the judicial review case further, recognising the Court’s strong indication that such a challenge would be unsuccessful and therefore not in the best interests of local tax-payers, it remains committed to highlighting the deficiencies in the Inspectorate’s evaluation.
As a result, the Council has lodged a formal complaint with the Planning Inspectorate highlighting that the Inspector’s failings led to the Council being forced to take action by way of judicial review to defend the integrity of local plan making. Southwater Parish Council has also taken similar action.
Cllr Ruth Fletcher, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Infra-structure said: “The Planning Inspector’s error was acknowledged by both the Secretary of State and the Court, and that recognition is an important step in helping us safe-guard the role of neighbourhood plans in the future.
“Nevertheless, we remain deeply concerned at how this appeal was assessed as the consequence of some of the decisions made will significantly affect our District.
It is therefore important to the Council that we set out the areas where the Inspector’s assessment and conclusions have been flawed in the hope that this will help prevent such poor decision making in the future.
“As a council we will continue to champion plan-led decision making that respects local decision making and safeguards our communities from inappropriate development.”