Village subject of plans for 199 homes

Outline plans for 199 new homes in a West Sussex village have been met with concern by residents.

The plans for land north of Cooks Lane, Southbourne, have been submitted to Chichester District Council.

The application aims to provide a 30 per cent affordable housing provision with a total of 60 affordable homes provided and one additional dwelling to that approved at the outline stage.

In the design and access statement, provisions for a ‘natural public space’ are also part of the proposed development on the site.

The statement also said: “We aim for pedestrian connectivity to the emerging neighbourhood plan allocation to the east and to the Abri scheme to the north.

“New homes will be carefully designed to ensure surveillance and overlooking of the entrance road and adjacent open space.”

The outline plans have been met with opposition with one objector being in ‘utter dismay of the proposed plans.’

Lez Brotherston, from Nutbourne, said: “It is with continuing dismay that I see more and more applications to develop the green fields around Southbourne.

“Those of us living in Inlands road have already had three years of disruption with the large Priors Orchard estate.

“It’s a suggested development that would change the nature of Southbourne village whose amenities are already struggling .

“Schools are full, the doctors surgery cant cope with the number of users at the moment, there are only two shops.

“The scale of the suggested development and the access issues would be detrimental to those already living in the surrounding roads.”

Karen Mears also echoed the view that the development would detract from the green space in the village.

In a letter to Chichester MP Gillian Keegan she wrote: “The damage being caused to this environment and to the wildlife in this area is not acceptable.

“We have lost so many green sites to development and I don’t know any local families who have bought these properties.

“I have three grown up children In their late twenties who cannot afford to leave home because house and flats are too expensive.”

To view the full application visit Chichester District Council’s planning portal using the reference 22/00157/ REM.