Agenda item

Ward: Itchingfield, Sinfold and Warnham

Applicant: Slinfold Developments Ltd

The Head of Development reported that this application sought outline permission for the erection of up to 24 dwellings, including eight (35%) affordable units, with access from Lyons Road, landscaping and associated works.  The demolition of the existing cricket pavilion and replacement with new two-storey cricket pavilion, 25 car parking spaces and ball-stop netting along the boundary with the cricket club were included in the proposal.

Matters for consideration under this outline application were the principle of the development and access, with all other matters reserved for future determination.     Access would be via an existing track, upgraded for vehicular access with visibility splays and paving.  

Since publication of the report, an addendum had been published which included:

Details of eight further representations received, all objecting to the proposal.

Updated information regarding amended plans to allow the retention of four trees, including a large oak tree (T41), and planting of trees within the proposed hedgerow.  Because of these amendments, Condition 9 would no longer be required, and Condition 22 would be revised to include T41.

Advice that West Sussex County Council Highways officers had confirmed that the bus stop pole on the eastern corner of the access road could be moved as required as part of the Road Safety Audit process.

A small number of Barbastelle bats that had been observed in the locality, which was located within a bat sustenance zone.  The recommendation in the report should therefore be amended so that approval of outline permission was subject to no objection from Natural England. 

The application site was located just within the built-up area boundary of Slinfold, north of Slinfold Cricket Club and included two large agricultural storage barns with hardstanding, and an area of grass.  There were two offices in converted barns directly north of the site beyond which were open fields, with fields to the east as well.  There were a number of listed buildings in the adjacent Slinfold Conservation Area to the west.

The Parish Council did not object to the principle of the application, but sought clarification regarding the access, highway layout and design.  There had been 60 representations from 24 households objecting to the application and three letters from two households in support, as outlined in the report.  Since publication of the report a further eight representations objecting to the proposal had been received, as outlined in the addendum.  Three members of the public spoke in objection to the application.  The applicant’s agent and one member of the public addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the proposal.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; affordable housing and housing mix; the indicative layout, scale and appearance; heritage impacts; landscape and trees; amenity of neighbouring residents and future occupants; highways and access; public rights of way; and ecology.

It was proposed that the application be refused.  The motion was seconded.

Following legal advice, the Chairman invited discussion of the item before the Committee were asked to vote on the proposal to refuse the application, and the discussion proceeded.

Members discussed the scale of the proposal and how it related to the Neighbourhood Plan, in particular with regard to access arrangements and the indicative housing mix. 

There was concern that the access arrangements, including the scale of the road junction and footways, would have an unacceptably urbanising impact on Lyons Road. A Member asked the question as to whether the Committee should consider a deferral of the item, and this was discussed, but no formal proposal was made.

The motion to refuse the application was put to the Committee and was carried.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/19/1386 be refused for the following reasons:

The scale of the proposed access from and on to Lyons Road would result in an unacceptably hard and urbanising impact on the rural character of the Lyons Road which is contrary to policy 32 of the Horsham District Planning Framework and to policy 8 of the Slinfold Neighbourhood Plan.