South Chailey housing development deferred due to concerns over consultation process

On Wednesday (February 15), Lewes District Council’s planning committee had been set to consider an outline application to build up to 56 homes on land to the west of the A275.

As the meeting began, however, the committee heard that there was an unresolved issue with the consultation process.

Essentially, the council could not confirm whether it had posted out neighbour notification letters to those who would be affected by the development.

In light of this, officers recommended the application be deferred to allow for “a full and clear formal re-consultation”. This recommendation was unanimously backed by the committee.

Planning committee chairman Sharon Davy (Con) said: “In the recent days and weeks, the council have received a number of letters and emails from the community outlining issues with the consultation regime.

“We know that you have not been happy about this and therefore officers’ advice to the planning committee is that the application should be deferred to a future planning committee.

“This action would allow the site notice to expire and a further … consultation letter drop to immediate neighbours to the application site. If this consultation regime were to be taken, any further representations received would be incorporated into the officer report to a future planning committee.”

The proposals had attracted a significant number of objections, with concerns including the loss of agricultural green space, the development’s impact on local infrastructure and character, as well as its potential to harm both an ancient woodland which borders the site and a nearby listed property.

Among those to object is Chailey Parish Council, which voted unanimously to oppose the scheme at a recent meeting. Objections have also been raised by the council’s landscape officer.

Planning officers had formed a different view, however, originally recommending that the scheme should be approved.

As an outline scheme details of the proposals’ layout and housing mix would have had to be determined as part of a later application. As such, the committee would have primarily made its decision on the principle of developing the site.

The only major detail set to have been determined was the site’s access, which developers are proposing be via the A275.