Large Yapton housing development proposed on 'best' agricultural land

Landlink Estates Limited applied to Arun District Council to build the homes on farmland to the west of Bilsham Road, in January.

The site is south of Yapton and the council’s Planning Committee is due to make a decision on Wednesday (August 24).

It is a ‘hybrid’ application which means that, if it is approved, full permission will be given for 30 homes and outline permission (or permission in principle) will be given to the remaining 110.

The scheme would be delivered in three phases and could provide up to 42 affordable homes.

Open space, landscaping, drainage, and infrastructure are also included in the plans.

Access to the development would be to the north of Taylors Close and new footways would link the site to existing paths and a bus stop, with an additional crossing point planned.

Separate plans for 250 homes were approved on a different ‘strategic’ site, already allocated for housing, to the north.

However, plans for 73 homes at the Bilsham Road site were refused in September 2021.

More than 160 objections have been sent to ADC, including a five-page letter from Yapton Parish Council.

The parish council says the plans are a departure from the Local Plan, adding that Yapton has already contributed more than 1,000 homes.

Yapton PC also has concerns over increased pressure on schools, as does West Sussex County Council which says it is ‘not possible’ to expand secondary school provision.

WSCC highways is requesting contributions totalling £697,000 towards improvements at the A259 Comet Corner junction.

There have been no objections from the Environment Agency or Southern Water, but National Highways has a holding objection.

Several local people took to social media to say it would be ‘heartbreaking’ if the plans go ahead.

But the developer says the scheme would ‘enhance the vitality of the community of Yapton’.

Council planning officers are recommending the scheme for conditional approval.

But they noted that the development would be on ‘the best and most versatile agricultural land’, with crops growing as recently as July 2021.