Plans to demolish a squash club and replace it with a block of eight flats have been approved by Horsham District Council.
The application for Storrington Squash Club, in Greyfriars Lane, was given the nod during a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday (November 21).
The flats will be in a three-storey block and there will be cycle and bin stores as well as parking for 14 cars.
Rainwater harvesting using tanks on the roof of the building will be used to help the development meet water neutrality requirements.
Other tanks will be fitted to a barn roof at Coolham Manor Farm, with the water collected being used for the 15 pigs, 20 cattle and 100 sheep kept on the farm.
While the application was approved, concerns were raised by some councillors.
Philip Circus (Con, West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington) spoke about extra traffic exacerbating Storrington’s air quality problems, particularly around the Air Quality Management Area around West Street and High Street.
While acknowledging that this one development alone might not cause a problem, Mr Circus pointed out that the cumulative effect of development after development in the area certainly would.
Claudia Fisher (Green, Storrington & Washington) shared those concerns and was also less than impressed with the look of the flats.
Whilst saying the development was ‘clearly an improvement’ on what was there now, she still found it to be ‘overbearing and out of keeping with the Conservation Area’.
Officer’s, though, had recommended the application for approval, and the majority of the committee agreed.
