Decision delayed on 63 homes at Willowbrook Riding Centre in Hambrook due to change in government planning policy

The application, from Reside Holdings Ltd, to develop the Willowbrook Riding Centre, in Hambrook, was due to be discussed by Chichester District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (December 7).

But it was deferred after a ministerial statement was published by Secretary of State Michael Gove, announcing changes to the way housing supply will be calculated.

Mr Gove said that local authorities who were ‘at an advanced stage in their Local Plan making’ would only need to show that they had a four year supply of housing land, rather than five, to make them ‘less at risk from speculative development’.

Fjola Stevens, divisional manager, said: “The council recently published our five-year supply position which shows that we have a supply of 4.74 years.

“In addition to the change in housing supply requirements, it’s also understood that amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework will be consulted upon before Christmas.”

At the moment, though, no specific details have been made available by the government – least of all about how it defines ‘an advanced stage of plan making’.

The committee agreed to defer the application to allow officers time to seek clarification.

The council received 140 letters of objection to the application from local residents including the Friends of the Hambrook.

Issues raised included a lack of understanding of the area and concerns that the ‘crumbling road infrastructure can barely cope with the local traffic at present’.

Then there were concerns about whether the area’s sewage treatment system could cope, an increase in traffic jams and pollution and the feeling the the A259 ‘is already becoming an endless sprawl of housing’.

To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 21/01910/OUT.

Earlier this week, Mr Gove said in a statement: “If we are to deliver the new homes this country needs, new development must have the support of local communities. That requires people to know it will be beautiful, accompanied by the right infrastructure, approved democratically, that it will enhance the environment and create proper neighbourhoods.”