Flooding fears lead to homes in Barnham being rejected

Arun District Council planning officer Peter Cleveland said the proposal for The Lillies Caravan Park would lead to an increased risk of extra flooding.

He said: “The local planning authority do not consider that the proposals can provide an acceptable foul or surface water strategy that will not result in adverse impacts on capacity of infrastructure and flooding in the area.”

The decision was based on advice from Southern Water. This stated there was insufficient capacity in the local network to provide sewage disposal to service the proposed development.

“The increased flows would result in increased flows to the sewerage system and existing properties and land may be subject to a greater risk of flooding as a result,” said Mr Cleveland.

The applicant, Banner Homes Southern, had also failed to carry out suitable groundwater monitoring to identify the existing groundwater level.

This was needed to find out if the company’s plan to control or limit surface water flows from the site on Yapton Road would work.

The company’s latest application followed one in 2009 for 95 dwellings which the council refused in April 2010. It was allowed by a planning inspector the following January but has never been progressed.

The current scheme was to demolish six holiday lodges and remove some 30 touring caravans, motorhomes and camping pitches from the 1.2ha site.

Banner Homes wanted to replace them with six two-bed houses, 17 three-bed houses, eight four-bed houses, two one-bed flats and four two-bed flats.

Eleven of the homes would be affordable housing.

But Mr Cleveland said the housing would have an unacceptable impact on an area outside the built-up 
area boundary.

“The area in which the application proposes development is a semi-rural location surrounded by open countryside,” he stated in his report.

He also ruled the proposal failed to provide enough public open space and play facilities. Those areas that were suggested were unacceptable.

Banner Homes had failed as well to make a payment towards the public services the new homes’ occupiers would use and to formally agree to provide social housing.