South Downs National Park takes robust enforcement action against planning breaches
January 9, 2025
The National Park’s enforcement team has been busy over the past six months with a number of enforcement notices served on those breaching planning regulations.
Here are two cases to highlight, writes Robert Campbell, Senior Planning Enforcement Officer.
The Boneyard, Drove Road, Brighton
A planning enforcement notice was served back in May 2023 concerning the material change of use of the land to a mixed-use. This included a commercial equestrian business use for livery and the breeding of showjumping horses, as well as the placement and residential occupation of one mobile home. There were numerous storage containers on site, together with a number of new timber stables.
The owners were required to cease the mixed use and dismantle the new stables, as well as restoring the land to its previous condition. They were given six months to comply. The owners appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, and a one-day Appeal Hearing was held at the South Downs Centre last October.
The owners appeared at the hearing and set out their case that they needed the site for their business plan and that it was necessary for them to live on site due to welfare requirements around their horses.
The Inspector refused to grant planning permission, extended the period of compliance to 12 months and dismissed the appeal.
This result was a good team effort from the enforcement team, senior planners and landscape expert.
The Fox Inn, Arundel Road, Patching, Worthing
A Planning Enforcement Notice was issued to the owners of the Fox Inn in April 2024. This was for the siting of a large marquee on a hardstanding base, as well as the siting of a storage container, the engineering of an earth bund, and the use of the site for the dumping of commercial waste.
The owners were required to remove all of these items and were given three months from the 2 April 2024 to comply. No appeal against the notice was made to the Planning Inspectorate.
The site was inspected on 6th August 2024 and the notice had not been complied with.
Enforcement officers tried on numerous occasions to get the owners to comply with the notice, but to no avail.
As a result, prosecution papers were drawn up and the matter was heard at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 28 November 2024. The two owners failed to appear, and the matter was heard in their absence. Each defendant was ordered to pay a fine of £1,100, costs of £658 and victim surcharge of £440, resulting in a total liability for the offence of £4,396.
