Plans to demolish a stables in Halnaker and replace it with 26 homes have been approved by Chichester District Council.
The application to develop the Rohan Stables site on the A285 opposite Tinwood Lane, was given the nod during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (September 11).
But it was by no means unanimous.
The plans were deferred early in August when some committee members felt that 26 homes would be too much for the site.
Applicant B.Yond Homes Ltd – formerly Rydon Homes Ltd – was asked to consider reducing the numbers but chose not to.
With planning officers having already warned about the risk of an appeal being launched for non-determination, the option of deferring the plans again was not really on the table.
It was a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision.
Sarah Quail (Lib Dem, Chichester West) was something of a cheerleader for the application, saying it ‘fit the bill’.
She added: “It is a piece of land which is tucked away and it will enable the parish to fulfil part of its demand for housing.
“I cannot for the life of me see why we should not support this planning application.”
Donna Johnson (Green & Local Alliance Group, Sidlesham & Selsey North) was somewhat less enthusiastic.
She was disappointed that attempts to find middle ground with B.Yond Homes had not been successful.
But while finding the situation ‘very unfortuate’, she admitted that she struggled to find grounds to refuse the plans which would stand up to scrutiny at appeal.
Roy Briscoe (Con, Westbourne), though, did not support the plans.
Proposing the application be refused, he was unhappy that the development would be in the countryside, 300 metres away from the nearest settlement boundary.
Stating that it would be in breach of a couple of Local Plan policies, Mr Briscoe warned: “If we start filling in these little parcels of land in the countryside, it becomes urbanised.”
His proposal to refuse the application was lost by four votes to seven, while the application itself was approved by the same margin.
The development will be made up of four one-bedroom flats, four two-bedroom bungalows, five two-bedroom houses, one three-bedroom bungalow, eight three-bedroom houses and four four-bedroom houses.
Eight of the properties will be classed as affordable.
To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 23/02169/FUL.
