Plans to build 14 homes and a commercial building in Birdham have been approved by Chichester District Council.
The application to demolish Russells Garden Centre and café, in Main Road, was given the go-ahead during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (April 17).
The development will be made up of eight houses and six bungalows. Four of the new homes will be classed as affordable.
There will also be a Class E commercial building which will either be used as office space or for financial services or health services.
The existing access to the site will be closed up and two new ones opened.
The council received seven objections from members of the public as well as objections from three parish councils and the Chichester Harbour Conservancy.
Concerns included the loss of employment and a community asset, and the ‘urbanising effect’ of the development on the character of the area which sits next to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The application was submitted by Russells Garden Centre Ltd.
An agent for the company said the site had not been in horticultural use since 1996 and the business had been making a year-on-year loss since 2018 and was no longer viable.
Some councillors said they would have preferred to see the business remain.
But officers said there were concerns that, if the application was not approved, the site would become derelict and eventually be used for housing anyway but with no commercial unit.
The application was approved by six votes to four.
To view the plans, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 23/00067/FUL.
