Plans to build 23 homes north of Southwater refused by council

The application from Star Build Ltd, for land to the rear of The Copse, in Worthing Road, was rejected during a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday, November 3, despite officers recommending approval.

Addressing the meeting, Alexander Jeffery (Lib Dem, Southwater South and Shipley) pointed out that 1,000 homes had been allocated to the area in the council’s emerging Local Plan, with another 800 at Horsham Golf & Fitness Village.

He said: “For residents, the effects of that growth will be felt together in the roads they use every day and in demand for local services. Residents are entitled to ask a very simple question: when is enough enough?”

Neither the Local Plan nor the adopted Southwater Neighbourhood Plan had allocated the site for development – with the latter having considered and rejected the site.

While this application was only for 23 homes, Mr Jeffery looked at the combined impact of so much development in the area.

He said: “In my view, the harm from further encroachment into the countryside, considered in the context of the growth already planned for Southwater, substantially outweighs the benefits of this proposal.

“If we want residents to have confidence in a Plan-led system, they need to see how the Plan shapes decisions we make.”

A final decision on the Local Plan is expected in January. Officers, though, pointed out that the committee had to make a decision based on the current policy framework – not on what might be in place in three months’ time.

So, as it stands, the council does not have the required five-year supply of housing land, therefore tilting the decision in favour of the developer.

But the committee was not happy with the application.

Dennis Livingstone (Lib Dem, Nuthurst and Lower Beeding) suggested they defer their decision until the Planning Inspector had submitted his final report on the emerging Local Plan.

This was voted down, though, as officers warned it would be ‘profoundly unreasonable decision-making’ which would likely seen the applicant awarded costs against the council on appeal.

They unanimously rejected the officers’ recommendation to approve the plans, voting 10-1 to refuse.

The reasons given were that the development would be outside the Southwater built-up area boundary on a site not allocated for development, and would represent inappropriate development in the countryside.

The application was the first to be considered by the planning committee after changes to the regulations come into force on October 31.

It met the criteria to be put to the committee because it didn’t comply with the development plan, more than eight people contacted the council raising concerns that went against the recommendation, and requests were made by Southwater Parish Council and ward councillor Claire Vickers.

To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/26/0355