Details submitted for controversial 200 home site in Barnham

The reserved matters application is for the buildings' appearance, landscaping, layout and scale at Tars Farm following the approval of outline plans by a government planning inspector.

The unpopular plans were refused by Arun District Council in 2019.

Planning officers argued the scale of development would be inappropriate for the location and cause significant harm to the character and appearance of the area.

In his decision report, inspector David Spencer noted the ‘challenging circumstances’ around housing delivery and a ‘lack of a clear prospect that there will be a plan-led solution in Arun in the short term’.

The character and appearance of Marshall Close would be ‘harmfully affected’ but he did not find any harm to heritage significance of listed buildings or unacceptable harm to non-designated heritage assets. He also found less than substantial harm to the heritage significance of the Barnham Church Lane Conservation Area.

A design and access statement by Carlton Design Partnership, for Barratt Homes, said the plans include open space, landscaping and access from Marshall Close.

The 13.8ha site is accessed via a private entrance for Tars Farm off Church Lane and comprises several agricultural fields and horse paddocks centred around agricultural barns and stables.

The statement said 30 per cent of the properties would be affordable. There would be 24 one bed apartments, 22 two bed houses, 89 three bedroom houses and 63 four bedroom houses.

The majority would be two storeys with a limited number of 2.5 storey townhouses and four three storey apartment blocks.

Key features of the site would be a new vehicular and pedestrian site access off Marshall Close, an intent to present a semi-rural development at the edge of the main village with a clear street hierarchy and density lower to the development edge with housing being mainly detached or semi-detached in nature.

Smaller properties would generally be located along the internal streets with use of terraced and semi-detached housing.

There would be retention of hedgerows and mature trees to retain an established landscape setting to the site boundary.

A series of footpaths would lead from existing connections through landscaped open space areas to create a green network around the site and a footpath would be upgraded to a 3m cycleway.

To view the plans and comment go to the Arun District Council planning portal and use the search reference BN/147/22/RES.