A developer’s fourth bid to build homes on a plot of land described by villagers as a “wildlife sanctuary” has been postponed at the last minute because of dormice.
An application to build 14 homes on land west of Smock Alley in West Chiltington was due to be considered by Horsham District Council’s planning committee this evening
But it was withdrawn from the agenda at the eleventh hour, with a note saying there were “unresolved ecology issues relating to potential impacts” on the tiny creatures.
This would have been the fourth time the committee had considered the plans.
They have been refused three times, with two of the subsequent appeals being dismissed by the planning inspectorate.
The third appeal was withdrawn by applicant Castle Properties after the council said it would not be defending its reasons for refusal, making it quicker for the plans to simply be resubmitted and considered again.
Residents launched a petition in September appealing to the council to “save our local wildlife sanctuary from development for future generations”.
More than 1,000 people have signed the petition, which details a number of reasons for the application to be refused again, including the impact on wildlife and protected species.
The site is allocated for development in Horsham’s draft local plan, which designates areas where housing can and should be built.
Formal negotiations over the plan, led by a government inspector, were halted last week after the government published increased proposed housing targets for Horsham.
To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/24/1619.
