Plans to build 152 homes in Ashington have been approved by Horsham District Council.
The application from Bellway Homes, for the site west of Ashington School, includes an all-weather sport pitch, sports pavilion and allotments, as well as a new access off of Church Lane.
It was approved by the planning committee on Tuesday (November 4) by nine votes to four with one abstention.
Since the plans were first proposed in 2023, the council has received more than 200 objections. Concerns raised included Church Lane being too narrow for two-way traffic, parking being ‘inadequate’ and the strain on Ashington’s infrastructure.
The latter was especially highlighted due to the other applications for the village, such as one submitted for 74 homes on land east of Mousdell Close, and permission being given in 2023 for another 74 homes at Chanctonbury Nursery.
Objecting to the application, Alan Manton (Ind, West Chiltington, Thakeham & Ashington), who is not a member of the planning committee, described the development as ‘an over-dense, housing-led scheme that fails to deliver the balanced community vision residents voted for’.
The development will be made up of 11 one-bedroom and nine two-bedroom flats, along with 35 two-bedroom, 58 three-bedroom, and 39 four-bedroom houses. Thirty-seven of the new homes will be classed as affordable rent.
Land used as a forest school will not be touched and land will still be available for any future expansion of the primary school itself.
To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/23/0406.
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