Council leader writes to Gove over homes plans
Appeal was won to build 475 homes in green gap
A West Sussex council is considering challenging an inspector’s decision to approve housing plans for part of a green gap.
Worthing Borough Council leader Kevin Jenkins has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove after developer Persimmon Homes won its appeal to build 475 homes at Chatsmore Farm in Worthing, which forms part of the gap between Goring and Ferring.
In his letter, shared with this newspaper, Mr Jenkins repeated lines from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party Conference speech back in October – words which have formed a key part of our housing campaign in recent weeks and months.
Mr Jenkins wrote: “[The Prime Minister] noted the need for new homes but crucially, ‘Not on green fields, not just jammed in the South East but beautiful homes on brownfield sites in places where homes make sense’.
“Given this strong message from the Prime Minister, given the anger by residents, I trust you will heed the call from Sir Peter Bottomley and those of thousands of frustrated Worthing residents and give this matter your utmost consideration.”
The Chatsmore Farm plans were previously rejected by Worthing Borough Council, with more than 1,000 residents objecting to the scheme.
The council had sought to protect the site as part of its local plan process.
It believed an inspector scrutinising the local plan itself had given strong indications Chatsmore Farm could be protected, only for a separate inspector to approve its development following a planning inquiry.
Discussing this issue, Mr Jenkins’ letter said: “This decision flies in the face of the recent examination of the Worthing Local Plan that was heard in November 2021, where the inspector found that the local plan was very well advanced and issued a post-hearing advice letter.
“That letter is of great relevance as it did not raise any concern about the principle of the protection of the designated green gaps (including Chatsmore Farm) or the need to find any additional housing sites to meet an identified shortfall in housing.
“[The letter] acknowledges the difficulty the council has in meeting housing needs and that there are sites where environment concerns outweigh development needs.
“As we demonstrated during the examination the council is strongly of the view that this applies to the Chatsmore Farm site.”
Mr Jenkins went on to point to national guidance, which stated that the planning system should be ‘genuinely plan-led’.
He added: “Paragraph 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that ‘the planning system should be genuinely plan-led’.
“The council finds it difficult to reconcile this objective at a time when the local plan is so well advanced and yet an application for 475 dwellings (in an area that the Plan is seeking to protect) is approved.
“The local community, who have been actively involved in every stage of plan-making will no doubt have difficulty understanding or comprehending how such a decision has been reached with a ‘plan-led’ system.
“The council is currently giving serious consideration to challenging this decision through a judicial review – legal advice is being sought in this regard.
“Furthermore, we understand that the local MP (Sir Peter Bottomley) is requesting that the decision be called-in by yourself.”