Public appeal underway for proposed 29 home development in Southbourne

An independent planning inspector will look at the plans for the proposed development of 29 houses at Gosden Green Nursery in Southbourne.

The proposal had been refused by Chichester District Council in 2021.

The hearing started at 10am on February 28 at the Emsworth Baptist Church.

As of writing, the application currently has 25 written letters of objection to Chichester District Council.

In the statement of the appeal proposal, Southern Planning Practice wrote of the changes: “Access to the Site would continue to be from Main Road via the existing access, which would be upgraded and provided with footways on either side for the access to connect to the existing footway on Main Road.

“At the entrance to the Site, a community Orchard is proposed.

“At the southern end of the Site, an area of public open space is proposed along with an attenuation pond, to accept the surface water drainage that will be directed to it via a series of Swales running from the north to the south of the site.”

In its statement of refusal, a spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “The proposed development would result in the provision of a large number of dwellings outside of and poorly related to the existing settlement.

"The site has only a very partial attachment to the Hermitage Settlement Boundary. It is otherwise surrounded by adjoining fields with gaps between the site and the settlement boundary to the west.

"Furthermore, the proposed development, by reason of its cramped layout, would not constitute high quality development within the countryside and would result in a contrived, overdeveloped and incongruous form of development that would detract from the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and have little regard to the existing pattern and form of development within this edge of settlement location.

“The proposed quantum of housing and associated infrastructure would urbanise a designated AONB within a countryside setting and would constitute major development in that AONB.

"As a result, the proposal would have a significant adverse impact on the character of the site and its context in the AONB.”

To view the full application visit Chichester District Council’s planning portal using the reference: 21/02238/FULEIA