YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

 

 

30 May 2007 – At a meeting of the Planning Committee held in Yapton & Ford Village Hall.

 

Present:  Mr Faulkner (Chairman), Mr Andrews, Mrs Barnes and Mr Jones.

 

Also Present:  District & Parish Councillor Mr Haymes, Mr Tansley (Clerk of the Council) and 41 members of the public.

 

 

 

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

Mr Haymes, in his capacity as a member of Arun District Council and of its Development Control Committee, declared a personal and prejudicial interest in planning application no. Y/37/07/ and took no part in the consideration of this application.

 

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

 

The Planning Committee had before them and considered the following planning applications and resolved to make representations to the District Council as indicated below:

 

Y/35/07/

Telescopic retractable swimming pool enclosure over an existing swimming pool.

 

 

 

Old Granary

Bilsham Lane

Yapton

 

      NO OBJECTION

 

 

Y/37/07/

Demolition and removal of existing industrial units and other on site buildings and construction of 59 residential dwellings and associated roads, garages and landscaping (Departure from the Development Plan).

Yapton Industrial Estate

Bilsham Road

Yapton

 

OBJECTION

 

 

Prior to consideration of planning application Y/37/07, the Chairman invited members of the public present to make any comments to the meeting. 

 

Nicola Knight on behalf of local residents in Bilsham Road read a statement which summarised the residents’ main objections and concerns about the proposal by the Gladedale Group Limited to develop the site for residential purposes. Other residents also spoke strongly against the proposed development.  On a show of hands being taken, those members of the public present at the meeting were unanimous in their opposition to the proposed development. 

 

The Planning Committee’s reasons for objecting to planning application Y/37/7/ are set out below:

 

i) The site is not identified in the West Sussex County Structure Plan for residential development.

 

ii) The site is outside the development area. It does not accord with the Local Plan (Policy GEN2)

 

A significant part of the site is greenfield, on rural and undeveloped land which is part of the open countryside and which should be protected (Policy GEN3) (Local Area Policy 12).

 

Development of the site for residential purposes would create a precedent and further development would be difficult to resist (Policy GEN2).

 

The site is on the extremities of the village and to the south and east is surrounded by rural undeveloped land.  

 

Part of the site is brownfield and is used by a small local industries providing employment opportunities for local people. Development of the site for residential purposes would result in the possible closure of these industries, with the consequent loss of employment and/or displacement for employees.

 

iii)  There are highway issues associated with the site (Policy GEN4)

 

a) The B2132 is a rural village road linking the Bognor to Littlehampton road A259 road with the villages of Yapton and the other five villages.  It is not designed to cater for the increase in traffic which development of the site for residential purposes would create.

 

b) The nearby Comet Corner junction with the A259 road has long been considered a hazardous junction where urgent highway improvements are needed to improve safety and reduce the risk of serious accidents.  The need for such improvements has already been recognised and strongly supported by the Cabinet of the District Council itself.    The increased traffic generated by the development would exacerbate the highway safety problems at Comet Corner.

 

c) In Yapton itself there are existing pressures and congestion on the main road through the centre of the village.  The County Council has already identified the need for further traffic calming measures to be undertaken as a result of a series of traffic accidents immediately to the west of the village shops.

 

d) the development would encroach on the rural gap between the hamlet of  Bilsham and the village of Yapton.

 

e) The Barnham – Felpham Safe Cycle route which includes the B2132 Yapton Road is protected from any development which precludes its use as a safe cycle route (Policy GEN15).

 

 

iv) The site is in a low lying area and is prone to flooding (Policy GEN11)

 

There are drainage/sewerage concerns associated with the site.  The nearest residential properties in the hamlet of Bilsham further to the south of the site are not connected to mains drainage.

 

 

v) The development would have an adverse impact on nature conservation in the locality (Policy GEN29)

 

There would be a loss of important wildlife and natural habitat for vegetation.  The large diversity of plants, animals and insects which thrive in the locality would be lost.

 

 

vi) The proposed development would have an unacceptable impact on the character of the rural landscape (Policy GEN3/Policy GEN27)

 

There is at present no nearby residential development to the south and east of the site. Any development would create a precedent and be out of keeping with the rural aspect of the area.  The proposal would harm the character and appearance of the countryside.

 

 

 

 

         CHAIRMAN