Five new homes at Woodgate refused by planners

Domusea Development Ltd resubmitted plans for one four bed detached house, two four bed link detached houses and two three bed detached houses with access and parking at Ryefields Farmhouse, Oak Tree Lane.

But a decision report by Arun’s officers said the development failed to accord with the council’s design guide resulting in ‘an incongruous form of development in contrast to the existing defined character of the area and will overdevelop the site’.

It said the development fails to demonstrate how the site provides for sustainable, non-motorised forms of connections to the future services in the area.

It results in ‘unnecessary and undue harm to protected trees, the removal of several other trees without proper justification resulting in harm to character’.

There was no drainage impact assessment that takes account of the individual and cumulative impact upon foul water disposal; flood storage capacity and surface water drainage within the Lidsey Wastewater Treatment Catchment Area.

“The housing mix would result in a dominance of four bedroom properties in a district that has an identified and demonstrable need for two to three bedroom properties,” it said.

There was no draft s106 agreement to secure the necessary infrastructure relating to the development.

Aldingbourne Parish Council objected on the grounds that the site lies outside the Built Up Area Boundary, does not contribute to the infrastructure requirements, is contrary to the Arun Design Guide and also does not contribute to the housing mix required in the village.

Two objections were received from a resident saying the development affected a Public Right of Way and a private road and no approach had been made to the residents or their management company.

They said it was impossible to provide a linked up path between the site and Oak Tree Lane pavement due to third party land (unmade rough ground and prone to flooding) in between.

A planning statement by Smith Simmonds & Partners said the site was part of the garden of the farmhouse and was also used for grazing.

Access would be via the unmade private track Oak Tree Lane.

It said the proposal would deliver five family sized homes for the ‘pressing housing needs of the Arun district’ and its five year housing plan.

Previous plans for five homes were refused in October last year.

To see the decision report, go to the Arun District Council planning portal and use the search reference

AL/126/21/PL.