Plans for seven traveller pitches in Westbourne have been approved by Chichester District Council.
The application to change the use of land south of Racton View, in Marlpit Lane, Westbourne, was given the nod by the planning committee on Wednesday (March 11).
While not everyone was happy with the application, they could find no defensible planning reason to refuse it – a situation not helped by the fact the council is 13 pitches shy of the number it is required to provide.
The development will sit in a wildlife corridor on a landfill site that is currently being used for glamping – a situation that is being looked into by officers as no planning permission was given.
The committee raised two main concerns – whether the landfill site was safe and the loss of 132 trees, which would be felled to make space for the pitches.
The trees as a group are covered by a Tree Protection Order (TPO) and were planted in the early 2000s.
Brett Burkhart (Con, Fernhurst) asked: “What is the point of a TPO if we’re going to make a decision which allows 132 trees to be knocked down, destroyed, in order to make space for this site?
“Those trees were planted as a mitigation against the harms in terms of managing the [landfill] site and therefore you’re shooting yourself in the foot to remove them because they’re there for a purpose.”
A report from the planning officer called the loss of trees ‘regretable’ and acknowledged that the development would harm the landscape – but felt the benefit of providing the pitches would outweigh the harm caused.
Westbourne Parish Council filed a strong objection to the plans based on several concerns. They included the possible contamination of the site from the landfill, the loss of the trees, and the fact the site is in the countryside.
The officer said the issue of contaminated land has been suitably addressed over the course of the application.
To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 24/00806/FUL.
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