Decision details

3 No stables and a barn. This site is in CIL Zone 3 (Zero Rated) as other development.

The Planning Area Team Leader presented the report with updates. He explained that the application was deferred by Committee on 24 August 2022 [Minute 226] pending a site visit to establish if there was a bridleway on the land. A site visit on 2 September 2022 attended by 4 Members of the Committee established that there was no bridleway on the land.

Members then took part in a full debate on the application where a number of points were raised and responded to by Officers, including:

·       the site being part of the strategic gap between East Preston and Ferring

·       the exposed nature of the site and how visually set apart from other buildings the proposed buildings were

·       access to bridleways, the lack of any in the immediate vicinity, horses having to cross the A259 and use public footpaths in accessing them, and therefore a lack of a justification in approving what was proposed

·       concerns over the impact the size of the proposed building and the area of hardstanding that would surround it may have on the area

·       the similarity of a previous planning application granted but expired on the site

The Planning Area Team Leader noted the planning history as outlined in the Officer report and stated that he was unaware of the details of the previous permission but it had expired and was no longer extant.

The Officer recommendation to approve conditionally was then proposed by Councillor Edwards and seconded by Councillor Blanchard-Cooper. After a vote, the recommendation was declared NOT CARRIED.

Reasons for refusal were then discussed by Members. These included the application being an unacceptable encroachment into the strategic gap, the proposed development being out of character with its surroundings and the character of the locality, a lack of justification for it due to the limited access to the bridleway network, and the proposal not meeting the full tests of policy EQU DM1 in the Arun Local Plan.

The recommendation to refuse was then proposed by Councillor Bower and seconded by Councillor Lury.

The Committee

RESOLVED

That the application be REFUSED on the grounds of the impact to the strategic gap and character of the locality, and the accessibility to the bridleway network.

The Members who voted against the Officer’s recommendation to approve and for the recommendation for the application to be refused were Councillors Bower, Chace, Chapman, Haywood, Kelly and Lury. There were no votes cast against this recommendation and the Members who abstained during the vote were Councillors Blanchard-Cooper, Edwards, Thurston and Warr.