Agenda item

Ward: Nuthurst and Lower Beeding

Applicant: Mr Duncan Harvie

The Head of Development Control reported that this application sought permission for the construction of equestrian rehabilitation and training centre comprising stable building, indoor sand school, alterations to vehicles access, new access road and car parking.

Members were reminded of the addendum for this item. The addendum outlined the officer response to additional information received that the additional water neutrality statement had not addressed officer’s concerns. Additional highways information was considered appropriate by West Sussex County Council Highways and as such reason no 2 relating to safe access was recommended to be omitted from the report.

The application site related to land east of Leechpond Hill, south of Lower Beeding outside of the built-up area boundary within a countryside location. The site was served by two existing accesses from Leechpond Hill and located wholly within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The Parish Council objected to the proposal. Eleven letters of support were received, five letters of objection and one letter neither supporting nor objecting to the proposals.

The agent spoke in support of the application.

Members considered the consultees’ responses and the officer’s planning assessment which included the following key issues: principle of development, design, scale and appearance, amenity impact, highways, water neutrality, ecology, drainage and flooding.

Members were concerned the application was sited in an AONB, local traffic would increase, any additional access to the new site could cause traffic issues and the development could not provide certainty that it would be water neutral. Members supported the officer recommendation to refuse the application.

            RESOLVED

That planning application DC/21/1263 be refused for the following reasons:

1   The proposal represents major development within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and would result in an undue increase in overall activity within a countryside location, which would not provide for quiet recreational use. Furthermore, given the scale of the development within a protected landscape, the proposal would not be visually appropriate or be in-keeping with its location and surroundings and would fail to protect or enhance the landscape character of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies 25, 26, 32 and 33 of the Horsham District Planning Framework (2015) and Paragraphs 174, 176 and 177 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021), which attitude great weight to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

2   Notwithstanding information submitted, the application has not demonstrated with a sufficient degree of certainty that the development would not contribute to an existing adverse effect upon the integrity of the internationally designated Arun Valley Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar sites by way of increased water abstraction, contrary to Policy 31 of the Horsham District Planning Framework (2015), Paragraphs 179 and 180 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021), thus the Local Planning Authority is unable to discharge its duties under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended),and s40 of the NERC Act 2006 (Priority habitats & species).