Land North West of Goring Railway Station, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex

mixed use development comprising up to 475 dwellings along with associated access, internal roads and footpaths, car parking, public open space, landscaping, local centre (uses including A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, D1, D2, as proposed to be amended to use classes E, F and Sui Generis) with associated car parking, car parking for the adjacent railway station, undergrounding of overhead HV cables and other supporting infrastructure and utilities

Authority: Worthing Borough Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: residential · Major dwellings
Inspector: Wright Y

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on the Local Green Gap
The effect of the proposed development on landscape including the setting of the South Downs National Park
Whether the proposed development would be in a suitable location having regard to other local and national planning policies and the need for housing

What decided it

The substantial harm to the Local Green Gap and to local landscape character, combined with moderate to modest harm to the setting of the South Downs National Park, outweighed the benefits of the scheme including housing delivery.

The substantial harm to the Local Green Gap and landscape character, and moderate to modest harm to the SDNP, outweighed the substantial benefit of housing delivery and other lesser benefits, so the proposal conflicted with the development plan as a whole and the appeal was dismissed.

Framework references: 11, 58, 187, 189, 212, 215

Plan policies cited: Policy SS1, Policy SS4, Policy SS5

Judgments cited: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council v Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities and Bewley Homes plc [2024] EWHC 1916 (Admin); R (St Modwen Developments Ltd) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2018] PTSR 746

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.