®Planning appeal decision
Cockleberry Farm, Main Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 8PN
Planning appeal 3305923 at Cockleberry Farm, Main Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 8PN (Chichester District Council) was dismissed on 12 September 2023 by Inspector Buchanan R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal would result in the unjustified loss of an existing employment site.
demolition of existing lawful industrial and warehouse buildings, B8 container storage, residential caravans/park homes and stables on a previous developed site and their redevelopment for a residential development of 10 no. dwellings and associated works including landscaping and access alterations
- Authority
- Chichester District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Buchanan R
- Postcode
- PO18 8PN
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would result in the unjustified loss of an existing employment site
What decided it
The appellant's failure to provide robust and credible evidence through proper marketing that the employment site was no longer required for employment use, combined with the absence of structural or technical evidence that the existing buildings could not be repaired or upgraded for continued employment purposes, meant the proposal would result in unjustified loss of employment land contrary to Policy 26, and this harm outweighed the housing benefits even under the tilted balance.
The modest social, economic and environmental benefits of 5 dwellings on previously-developed land, including housing delivery and construction employment, were outweighed by the significant weight given to the unjustified permanent loss of an existing employment site with tangible local demand, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits and the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 26 of the Chichester Local Plan 2014-2029Policy LP1 of the Chidham & Hambrook Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan September 2016
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Chichester
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Dismissed15 October 20266010948Pendrills, Mill Lane, Fishbourne, PO19 3JN
- Dismissed5 October 202660118508 Gloucester Way, Chichester, PO19 5DL
- Dismissed2 October 202660116151, Harberton Crescent, Chichester, PO19 5NY
- Allowed30 September 20266014666Lerryn, West Strand, West Wittering, Chichester, PO20 8AU
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.