®Planning appeal decision
Land at Stubcroft Farm, Church Road, East Wittering, West Sussex, PO20 8PU
Planning appeal 3341439 at Land at Stubcroft Farm, Church Road, East Wittering, West Sussex, PO20 8PU (Chichester District Council) was dismissed on 21 November 2024 by Inspector Harwood A, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the risks of flooding of the site due to coastal flooding on the basis of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) modelling for future flood risk and whether a Sequential Test is required.
the erection of residential dwellings (including affordable housing), associated highway and landscape works, open space and flexible retail and community floorspace (Use Classes E and F)
- Authority
- Chichester District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Harwood A
- Postcode
- PO20 8PU
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the risks of flooding of the site due to coastal flooding on the basis of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) modelling for future flood risk and whether a Sequential Test is required
- the effect of the proposals upon the highway network with respect to the level of financial contribution towards A27 mitigation
- The effect of the proposals on the supply of the best and most versatile agricultural land
What decided it
The failure to demonstrate that the appeal sites were safe from future coastal flood risk, triggering an unmet requirement for a Sequential Test, combined with the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, outweighed the benefits of the schemes.
The substantial benefits of housing and affordable housing delivery, together with moderate accessibility benefits and limited economic benefits, did not outweigh the unresolved flood risk harm and the adverse effect on best and most versatile agricultural land, and conflict with the development plan as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- LP Policy 2LP Policy 4LP Policy 42LP Policy 8LP Policy 9LP Policy 48LP Policy 45LP Policy 34
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 168Paragraph 226
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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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.