Beachlands, 5 Sea Front, Hayling Island, PO11 9HG

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposal is acceptable with regard to flood risk and coastal change
• Whether the proposal makes adequate provision for affordable housing
• The effects of the proposal on ecology and biodiversity
• The implications of the proposal on parking and highway safety
• Whether the development would be likely to have a significant effect on the integrity of the Solent Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
• Whether the proposal makes adequate provision for health infrastructure
• Whether the proposal would provide a satisfactory living environment for future residents with regard to noise
• Whether the proposal makes provision for communal / open space and the maintenance of this and highways works

What decided it

The proposal failed to demonstrate that it would provide a safe environment for future occupiers in respect of flood risk and coastal erosion, and collectively failed to resolve significant shortcomings relating to affordable housing, health contributions, parking and highway safety, nutrient neutrality, open space provision, and biodiversity enhancements, which substantially reduced the weight that could be afforded to the housing and regeneration benefits.

The benefits of housing delivery and seafront regeneration, to which moderate weight was attached, were substantially outweighed by the collective harm arising from unresolved matters relating to flood risk, coastal change, affordable housing, health infrastructure, parking and highway safety, nutrient neutrality, open space provision and maintenance, and biodiversity enhancements, which attracted substantial weight.