‘This is what we have been fighting for’ – campaigners welcome housing plans victory

At the end of March, the Planning Inspectorate rejected an appeal by Persimmon Homes against Worthing Borough Council’s refusal to grant planning permission for 475 properties at Chatsmore Farm, on the Worthing/Arun border.

The decision came after more than three years of legal challenge through the planning system and the courts since the council’s planning committee rejected the application for the site in 2021. Persimmon must now either give up its challenge to the council’s decision or appeal to the High Court.

Two groups which had opposed the development have since issued statements welcoming the news.

Susan Belton, chair of the Worthing Society, said: “This is a very important result and acknowledges the importance of Chatsmore Farm to the ‘setting’ of the South Downs National Park and in preventing the coalescence of Ferring and Worthing. A large development here would have had a devastating impact on the local infrastructure and highways network.

“I should like to acknowledge the exceptional work put into defending this appeal by the planning department at Worthing Borough Council and the local community groups, such as the Ferring Conservation and Pro-Gaps groups who spoke against the appeal, including the Worthing Society.

“The Committee also acknowledges the unstinting support of the MP, Dr Beccy Cooper, and Sir Peter Bottomley, who both spoke in defense of Chatsmore Farm at the hearing.

“It is possible that Persimmon will take this case to a Judicial Review but they will need to find something fundamentally wrong with the way this decision has been made or an error in the process.

“This is a very important result and will be instrumental in helping us to defend our green spaces which as the Covid period showed, are so important to our mental and physical wellbeing.

“We also express our sincere thanks to our members for their support to our committee. The Society can only have significant influence on planning and the protection of our green infrastructure if our membership is sufficiently large to help give us the credibility. Please encourage friends and neighbours to join-we are all guardians of our heritage which includes our green spaces.”

Ed Miller, convenor of the Protect our Gaps Alliance, added: “This is what we have all been fighting for for in the last four years. an excellent result. All credit to Worthing Borough Council for seeing this through to the end.

“We have to fight every battle for our green and open spaces. We win some and we lose some but this is a result to encourage everyone to ‘Protect our Gaps’, in Worthing and in Arun.”