The Chichester Harbour Conservancy has spoken against plans to build 85 homes on land within the Harbour National Landscape.
Known as Horse’s Field, the greenfield site, south of Havant Road, Emsworth, is one of 23 allocated for housing in Havant Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan.
The National Landscape designation provides the site with high protection under UK law, and the Conservancy – the statutory authority for the Harbour – said it was ‘vehemently opposed’ to its inclusion.
Richard Austin, director of conservation, said: “As one of the UK’s smallest, yet most precious National Landscapes, Chichester Harbour simply cannot absorb a development of this scale without suffering significant and lasting harm.
“If [the allocation] is ratified, the statutory protections afforded to this nationally designated landscape will be shown to mean nothing, paving the way for this site and other development proposals to come forward through the planning process.”
Mr Austin added that, should the site be included in the final Plan, there was a ‘real risk’ that the scale of development could increase over time.
He feared this would lead to the ‘progressive erosion of the landscape’s special qualities and setting a dangerous precedent for future development within the National Landscape’.
Meanwhile, members of the Save the Horsefield campaign have delivered hundreds of leaflets opposing the inclusion of the site and urging people to take part in a consultation focussed on the legal compliance and soundness of the Local Plan.
The consultation will end at 5pm on Wednesday September 9.
A Chichester District Council spokesman said the authority was considering its response to the consultation, adding: “We expect that our response will focus on any cross-boundary planning matters arising from the Plan that may have implications for the Chichester Local Plan area.”
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