Plans for 67 Middleton homes resubmitted

The resubmission is for plans from Kinstead Developments, a joint venture partnership between West Sussex County Council and Lovell Homes, initially submitted in July 2023, to build 67 homes on land south of Ancton Lane.

Initial plans were withdrawn in November 2023, following roughly 300 letters of objection from residents.

Developers also received notice from council officers that they would be recommending refusal should plans go to the council’s planning committee, mostly for its impact over heritage assets and on native bat species.

The north of the site is home to three grade II heritage assets, the Manor House, Manor Farmhouse and Flint Cottage, with another grade II asset, the Ancton House Hotel, to the west of the site.

According to the plans, the site includes several ‘dangerously dilapidated’ farm buildings from an area known as Elm’s Farm, saying they date from around the 1950s onwards and are of ‘no historical or architectural merit’, and would be demolished.

Two flint and brick barns, possibly up to 140 years old, are to be kept and segmented into storage units for future residents, with some surrounding structures to be removed.

Of the 67 homes they plan to include 14 for affordable rent, five first homes, two for shared ownership, and 46 for open market sale, with a mix of 20 two bed, 33 three bed, and 14 four bed homes.

A total of 157 car parking spaces are planned, with 13 for visitor parking, four wheelchair accessible spaces, and 36 on street spaces with the rest to be either driveways or garages.