27 homes at Land At North Common Road, Wivelsfield Green

What was proposed

The application proposed 27 dwellings, including 40% affordable housing, with access, landscaping, open space and associated infrastructure.

“Erection of 27 no. dwellings (including 40% affordable), access, landscaping, open space and other associated infrastructure.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The site is a pasture field outside the settlement boundary, beside existing development, with trees, hedgerows, a pond and nearby listed buildings.

“The site slopes gently downwards from north to south. Significant landscape features are generally concentrated towards site boundaries but there is a large oak tree positioned further within the site, stepped in from the western boundary. There is no direct access to the field from North Common Road.”

“The site falls outside of the settlement boundary but is contiguous with it to the western edge whilst the church on the opposite side of North Common Road, to the south, is also within the settlement boundary. Also opposite the site is the relatively recent residential development at Charters Gate Way. The main developed area of Wivelsfield Green extends to the west of the site.”

Officer report

Planning history

The site had no previous planning applications, although pre-application advice was given before this proposal was submitted.

“5 Relevant Planning History 5.1 The site has not been subject to any historic planning applications. Preapplication advice was provided prior to the submission of the current application, reference PREAPP/23/0092.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The parish council chair, a planning consultant for a neighbour, the agent and the ward councillor spoke at the meeting.

The committee’s decision

The committee deferred the application to seek improvements mitigating heritage impacts, with delegated refusal if a satisfactory agreement could not be reached, citing heritage, sustainable location and landscape.

“That planning application LW/25/0286 for the erection of 27 no. dwellings (including 40% affordable), access, landscaping, open space and other associated infrastructure be deferred to seek improvements to mitigate the impact on the heritage asset and in the event that a satisfactory agreement could not be reached with Applicant, Officers would be delegated to refuse the application for the following reasons:”

“Heritage; 2. Sustainable location; and 3. Landscape.”

Minutes