Decision on 73-home Birdham development deferred

The application for land at Bellfield Nurseries, Kelly’s Nurseries and Koolbergen, in Bell Lane, was discussed during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (September 8).

While the officers’ recommendation was to permit the plans, councillors were not satisfied with the information provided regarding the knock-on effect of the new homes – namely traffic, waste water and school places.

Instead they approved a suggestion from Bill Brisbane (Lib Dem, Chichester East) who asked for more information to be provided by both Southern Water and Highways England.

Neither body had objected to the plans.

Mr Brisbane said: “It’s quite clear that Highways England’s ‘no objection’ is based on contributions to a mitigation scheme that is not going to take place.”

He was referring to the A27 Stockbridge Roundabout, which officers previously described as ‘currently not fundable or deliverable’.

Calling on Highways England to look into the cumulative effect of piecemeal development in the area, he added: “There must be an army of outstanding applications, all of which have an effect on the A27.”

Figures presented by Birdham Parish Council said there were a total of 843 homes planned on the Western Manhood.

The committee also asked to hear from West Sussex County Council about school capacity in the area.

If the application is finally approved, it will includes 21 affordable homes, 700sqm of employment space and a shop – though question were asked about the viability of the latter given how few customers it was likely to serve.

The three-hectare site contains three nurseries – though only Bellfield Nursery is trading as such – all of which would be demolished.

Plans to develop the site have been in the pipeline for a while.

A similar application for 77 homes was refused by the planning committee in 2017 and then dismissed when that decision was appealed.

And in 2014, an application for 81 homes was refused.

Some 66 objections to the latest plans were received, with concerns including over-development, harm to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as Chichester Harbour, flooding, the impact on the A27 and the stress placed on the sewage system.

To view the application in full, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 20/02066/OUT.