Fight over plans to 70 homes in West Wittering goes to an appeal

The residents from across the Manhood Peninsular packed the West Wittering Memorial Hall on Tuesday to have their say at a planning appeal where developer Welbeck is asking an independent planning inspector to overturns the refusal of Chichester District Council to allow the homes on land off Church Road to be built.

Representatives from the Witterings, Bracklesham Bay and Earnley spoke out over the plans which they said came as the whole area was already had more new homes than was originally planned and that the additional proposaed homes were unsustainable.

Samantha Tate parish clerk for East Wittering Parish Council echoed their strong objections to the plans and the ‘unwanted need for extra housing.’

She said: “There was an allocation for 180 houses in the local adopted plan, we have delivered 332 properties in the settlement boundary, 162 of those on brownfield sites.

“The parish council is not against development, but the scale of the development that would take place.”

“The housing allocations will be very hard to meet due to the environmental constraints. We need to secure long term social rented housing.”

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Councillor Graham Campbell from Birdham Parish Council also reiterated that Birdham had over delivered their allocated number, he said:

“The number of houses built in Birdham has delivered more than 50 per cent of the allocation.

Cllr Campbell also believes that the infrastructure in the surrounding area is not adequate enough for the development: “In 2019 on the A286 there were an estimated 14,840 cars flowing through, in 2020, a Covid-19 year, there were 17,542 cars, an increase of 19 per cent of traffic in Birdham.

“The effect of even more development is underestimated even by West Sussex County Council, which in turn leads to a shocking safety record.

“During the building period over the past five years there were 71 casualties and a 77 per cent increase in fatal accidents.

“West Sussex County Council have no plans to improve the state of the roads and the new developments would only make the traffic much worst.”

Louise Goldsmith of the Manhood Peninsula Action Group said the area did not have the infrastructure needed to support the proposed housing development

She said: “We are living in 2022 where Climate Change is a clear and present danger, the wildlife and environment is on a steep decline and in Chichester without an adequate sewage and road infrastructure which all residents on the Manhood Peninsula live with.

“The question is why are we continuing with a planning system which is simply not fit for purpose?

“It is combative as it pits resident against developer and undoubtedly credibility in the system is at rock bottom. It is time for change where we can work together to provide the right homes in the right places.

“Communities should be at the heart of planning not banging their heads against a system.

In response to the claims made by the various groups in attendance Welbeck Developments barrister told the planning inspector that only eight per cent of all building in the UK had been built on greenfield sites and that the Church Road development would be a sustainable one.

The developer also challenged the district council’s local plan - which acts as a development blueprint - and criticised its five year land supply plan.

The planning appeal hearing is set to take place over the next five to seven days as the parish’s and the barrister of Welbeck Developments make their case.

More details of this appeal can be found on the Chichester District planning portal under reference 20/02491/out

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