Eight home development on farm site near Bognor Regis refused

Plans for the demolition of five large agricultural buildings at Lidsey Lodge Farm, Sack Lane, the removal of concrete yards and access and building four two bed houses, two three bed houses, two four bed houses, gardens, access, parking, soft landscape and ecology areas have been refused.

In the decision report, officers said the site was in an area ‘predicted to be a Flood Zone 3 by the year 2111 and there is no guarantee that existing sea defences will be maintained’.

“A sequential site assessment is required to demonstrate that there are no other suitable sites in areas of lower flood risk elsewhere in the district,” it said.

“The site has significant trees to the east boundary and elsewhere within or adjacent to the site boundaries but no supporting tree documents has been provided to enable an assessment of the

proposal’s impact on these.”

Officers said the proposal ‘fails to provide sufficient car parking provision for this semi-rural location and this will result in overspill onto Sack Lane with impacts on highway safety/convenience and conflicts with existing local residents’.

The report said the homes would be two storey and form a horseshoe arrangement.

The remaining site would be returned to grass and landscaped wildlife buffer areas.

The access at the eastern end would be closed and access taken from the existing western access which would be realigned and widened.

The former farmyard includes storage barns, a container, an old lorry trailer and small ares of open storage.

The site is towards the end of a rural lane with few dwellings and surrounded by arable fields.

It forms part of the wider Lidsey Farm which is a 95 hectare site currently farming arable produce including wheat, rape and potatoes.

There are four dwellings adjoining the site on its south side.

Aldingbourne Parish Council objected to the plans saying the site is in an unsustainable location, the plans would harm biodiversity including bats, it is in a flood risk area, light pollution will affect the dark skies area, access is insufficient and it will not contribute to the climate change requirements.

Four letters of objection raised concerns about increased traffic and congestion on Sack Lane, which has no passing places or footway, no access to public transport, light pollution, harm to bats and barn owls and Sack Lane and the A29 are prone to surface water flooding.

To see the decision go to the Arun District Council planning portal and use the reference AL/75/21/PL.