Two applications to build up to 120 and 130 homes close to the Pagham Waste-water Treatment Works have been refused by Arun District Council.
The plans, from Northgate Properties Ltd, for land north of Summer Lane, were both given the thumbs-down during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday, July 22.
The main difference between the two was that the 120-home development would include a new access from Summer Lane.
Officers recommended that both applications be approved, but the committee would not be swayed, raising a number of concerns such as flooding, the loss of agricultural land, and the fact that the applications were a departure from the council’s development plan.
Given the proximity to the Treatment Works, odour was another issue raised – though the council’s environmental health officer said the levels would be ‘acceptable in planning terms’.
But Trevor Bence (Ref, Aldwick East), who lives close to another such facility, was not convinced, describing the ‘stink’ in the area as a ‘brick wall of smell’.
But it was flooding which formed the main grounds for refusing the applications. Both failed what is known as the flood risk sequential test, which essentially ensures that development is steered to areas with the lowest risk of flooding.
A plan to mitigate the situation by raising the ground level by 1m on the east of the site was described as ‘a no-no’ by Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston) as it was a departure from the development plan.
The potential impact from this was described as being ‘significant’ and would ‘outweigh the benefits of the scheme’.
There was frustration among the councillors at the hoops they had to jump through the come up with a solid, defensible reason to refuse an application.
With changes to the National Planning Policy Framework getting under way, chairman Simon McDougall (Lab, Pevensey) ‘guaranteed’ that the application would be back before the committee in six months’ time, even if the applicant chose not to launch an appeal.
He added: “I sit here as a Labour politician and even I’m am starting to pull my hair out because the democratic process we’ve got at the moment is just being eroded. I’ve got no teeth – we as a committee have got no teeth. What do we do?”
To view the applications, log on to www.arun.gov.uk and search for P/30/26/OUT and P/31/26/OUT.
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