New-build development gets the go-ahead from South Downs National Park’s Planning Committee

New-build development gets the go-ahead from South Downs National Park’s Planning Committee

December 17, 2020

New affordable homes are being delivered as part of a new-build development on the edge of a village.

The Planning Committee for the National Park Authority gave the green light to plans for 17 homes on land south of Heather Close, in West Ashling, near Chichester.

Nine of the new homes will be affordable – seven rented tenure and two shared ownership.

Planners and the developer had to work closely together from the pre-application stage, given the site’s edge-of-settlement location and landscape sensitivities.

The site falls within the Settlement Policy Boundary and is allocated for housing development in the South Downs Local Plan.

The final plans taken to committee included an emphasis on design excellence, as well as substantial biodiversity mitigation measures, including tree planting, green roofs, wildflower grasslands, and native hedgerows.

The plans also featured green open space, 36 parking spaces for residents and 22 cycle spaces, together with nutrient neutrality and recreational disturbance mitigation for internationally-protected areas.

Considering the plans, Design Officer Benjamin Terry said: “The submission makes a good understanding of the site and the surrounding area.

“The scheme has taken visual cues from the historic settlement edge of West Ashling, which has informed the layout, type and scale of buildings.

“The relationship between buildings and spaces create a coherent identity for the site that will be visually attractive and creates a sense of place.”

Tim Slaney, Director of Planning, told Members of the Planning Committee: “Officers have taken into account that the proposal has explored multiple reasonable opportunities to provide a well-balanced mix and affordable homes in West Ashling.

“The proposal has demonstrated a good understanding of the landscape sensitivities of the area and positively responds to these, resulting in a residential development that would be of high quality design.”