Nick Herbert muses on the National Planning Policy Framework in the wake of the Mayfield decision and the continuing threat to Hassocks/Hurstpierpoint.
Category Archives: Local Planning
Surplus to requirements
The Mid Sussex Times reports:
[Planning Inspector Geoff] Salter said it was up to HDC to decide how best to revise its housing strategy, and considered a new settlement was ‘not required in current circumstances’.
Durand Academy update
The SDNPA reports:
We have been informed that the Durand Academy has withdrawn their appeal against the SDNPA’s refusal of planning permission at St Cuthmans School. All arrangements for the hearing have had to be cancelled at very late notice – on the eve of the pre-inquiry meeting. Both the SDNPA and the local community have devoted considerable time and effort to get to this stage. The withdrawal reflects the high quality of our original appraisal of this development and confirms our wider stance on major developments in the National Park. We are now moving to recover the considerable costs incurred to the public purse in preparing for this appeal.
Despite the pending bill, it seems that the Academy intends to revisit Overlook Hotel:
The appeal was based on a planning application we submitted in October 2013 and we are confident that, now we are settled and operational on the site, we can rework the proposition effectively. .. So we want to take the opportunity now to work closely with the local community and planning authority, to adapt and rework the proposition going forward collaboratively.
Perhaps they should hire Lee Newlyn as a consultant or relocate to Mayfield Market Town.
Update 20th December: the Midhurst and Petworth Observer has more information about the impending efforts to recover the costs of the appeal.
Our earlier reports on this potentially precedent-setting application can be found here (May 2013) and here (December 2013).
MSDC District Plan 2014-2031 Consultation Draft
Mid Sussex District Council is consulting on its draft District Plan, along with a draft Sustainability Appraisal and draft Habitat Regulation Assessment. The role of the District Plan is to say broadly what, where, when and how development will take place in Mid Sussex over the next 17 years. These documents can be viewed online.
Whilst the overall strategy of the Plan has not changed from the 2013 District Plan, we want to give residents and other interested parties an opportunity to comment on the updated wording of the text and policies, some of which have changed significantly since our last public engagement. These changes have been as a result of responses received, discussions with the professional and statutory bodies including the Planning Inspectorate and Department for Communities and Local Government, cooperation with other local authorities and changes in guidance and national policy.
The draft District Plan does not include a housing number, although it does include policies which allocate land at Burgess Hill for development. The housing number will be set once all of the technical work on housing need and capacity has been undertaken and discussions with our neighbouring authorities have concluded. There will be an opportunity to make comments on the housing number when the Plan is published in May 2015.
Consultation starts 21st November 2014 for 8 weeks with the consultation documents available online from that date. Consultation closes midnight 16th January 2015.
We would like to hear from you and would welcome your views. Comments can be submitted online, by email, or by post (Planning Policy and Economic Development, Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1SS).
All comments received will be public information. More information can be found at www.midsussex.gov.uk/districtplan or by telephone on 01444 477053.
What is this land worth?
Mayfield Market Towns have stated that they control 464 acres of land in Horsham District, and 135 acres in Mid-Sussex District, some within the site proposed for their new town and some outside, but they have not yet provided evidence to support this claim. LAMBS, by contrast, currently has over 4,300 acres signed up as ‘not available’. They have released an interesting two-page document [PDF] that deals with valuation and compulsory purchase issues.
Bobservation No. 2
In praise of Preston Nomads Cricket Club…
The recent mini-furore over the licence application by Preston Nomads which, as I understand it, is to regularise their existing position, made me realise just how lucky we are in Fulking to have a cricket club of such note within the parish.
Other than the manic way in which some of the members can drive their cars from time to time, I do not recall any nuisance being caused by the club since the new pavilion was built and indeed before that.
In retrospect it was probably a pity that the principal access to the club was not arranged from the Poynings Road instead of Clappers Lane, but that is how it is and we all have to make the best of it.
I doubt there is, architecturally, a more attractive cricket club building in the South of England and the setting on a summer’s day is just magic viewed against the Downland backcloth.
Paul Hird, the Chairman of the club, has always gone out of his way to be welcoming to villagers and in particular St Andrew’s church has found the availability of the clubhouse for events a great blessing. The club have, over the years, been very generous in donating very attractive hampers for village events and making the clubhouse available to the village.
Let us count our blessings and see if we cannot appreciate the club more.
Bob Rowland
Pistols Barn owls at dawn at the O.K. Corral
“Mayfield Market Towns’ proposals faced a wall of opposition yesterday from every tier of local government. Defending its Housing Plan, Horsham District Council was flanked by two MPs, Sir Nicholas Soames and Nick Herbert, and representatives from Mid Sussex District Council, West Sussex County Council, nine Parish Councils, the CPRE and LAMBS.” [Much more here and here. Nick Herbert here.]
Updated: 22nd November.
FPC Planning 6:30pm 19th November
