Plans to build more than 40,000sqm of warehousing in Boxgrove have been refused by Chichester District Council.
The outline application from Heaver Commercial Ltd, for land at the Temple Bar junction, on Stane Street, was given the thumbs-down by the planning committee.
The council received 23 letters objecting to the plans, along with objections from Boxgrove Parish Council, Westhampnett Parish Council and the South Downs National Park Authority.
Concerns raised include: the development being out of keeping with the area, the height of the buildings being inappropriate, the impact on rural roads, an increase in noise and pollution, harm to biodiversity, and the impact such a development would have on the South Downs National Park.
Boxgrove Parish Council also said the development would ‘worsen existing congestion on the Chichester Bypass’.
Planning officers gave seven reasons for the refusal – but highway concerns was not one of them.
But the committee agreed with the recommendation to refuse on grounds including the site being at risk of surface water flooding, no acceptable surface water drainage strategy being tabled, not enough parking space being included, and the impact it would have on the National Park and the rural area.
A report to the committee said: “The scale of development, along with the introduction of significant external lighting, would result in a harmful urbanising effect, making it a large, isolated feature visible from several key viewpoints within the [Park] as well as in views back towards the Park.
“This would substantially alter the rural character of the area, impact the setting of the Park, and fail to demonstrate sensitivity towards the setting of the Park and local landscape character.”
To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 24/02918/OUTEIA.
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