Chichester District Council has refused two applications to set up caravan pitches but approved a third.
The applications were discussed during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (June 12).
The first, for land west of Beachlands Nursery, in West Ashling, was refused against the recommendation of planning officers.
It sought permission to set up one gypsy/traveller pitch comprising a static caravan, hard-standing for a vehicle and a touring caravan, bin and cycle storage and EV vehicle charging.
Added to the others already approved, this would have been the twelfth pitch on the site.
Objecting to the plans, Jane Mottershead, chair of Funtington Parish Council, asked that such applications be looked at collectively rather than as simply one or two pitches.
She said the site was now huge and ‘must not be permitted to grow any more’.
Her concerns were shared by a number of councillors who were worried that the site as a whole was dominating the area.
A previous application for the site was refused by the council and dismissed by planning inspectors when it went to appeal.
Officers warned that, because this latest application had addressed concerns raised by the inspector, the council could face costs for ‘unreasonable behaviour’ if it was turned down again and appealed again.
The application was refused by eight votes to three on the grounds of dominance of the settled community.
The second application, for land east of Rownberts, in Woodmancote Lane, Woodmancote, was also refused against the recommendation of officers.
It sought permission to change the use of the land for the siting of one showman’s mobile home, plus storage of two touring vans and two catering vans.
The application was refused by six votes to four on the grounds that the site was an unsustainable location and would have an adverse impact on the landscape.
The committee approved an application to change the use of land on Monks Hill, Westbourne.
It will see a pitch set up for one mobile home, one touring caravan, and one day-room.
To view the applications, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 24/00038/FUL, 23/02921/FUL and 24/00553/FUL.
