Decision due on development in grounds of historic Whatlington church

On Thursday (June 18), Rother District Council’s planning committee is set to consider outline proposals to build a two-storey detached house on land around 100m south of  St Mary Magdalene Church in Whatlington.

According to application documents, it is intended that proceeds from the sale of the house will fund the construction of a new car park for the Grade II* listed church.

Rother planning officers, however, are recommending the proposals be refused, as they consider that the construction of the house would cause more harm than the car park would bring in terms of benefits.

In a report to be considered by the committee, a council planning officer said: “In the final planning balance exercise it would need to be demonstrated that the public benefit of securing a car park … decisively outweighs the dis-benefits of breaching other planning policies in relation to new residential development in the countryside.

“In this regard, however, the harm to the environmental objectives of sustainable development arising from the proposed enabling development [the house] would be considerable and would outweigh any benefits arising from the proposal.”

The proposals have received a mixed response, with village residents both supporting and objecting to the proposals. Overall the council received eight letters of objection as well as 12 letters of support.

Objectors have raised concerns about the impact of the house on the visual amenity of the area and argue it would not be supported if put forward by itself, as it sits outside of the village’s development boundary.

Many of the objectors also question the need for such a car park, given the availability of parking at the village hall. This is disputed by others, however, who say the village hall car park is often locked when not in use.

Supporters, meanwhile, argue that the car park is necessary to the long-term survival of the church as it currently struggles with parking during events such as weddings and concerts.

Among those to throw their support behind the scheme is ward councillor Vikki Cook (Lib Dem), who called-in the application to the planning committee for consideration.

In a letter included in planning documents, Cllr Cook said the development would have an “overwhelming benefit to the community” by enabling the car park to be built “thus, conserving the heritage of a 13th century building for future generations.”

A Grade II* listed building, the church was largely built in the 13th century, albeit with some heavy 19th renovations.

According to a heritage statement included in the planning papers, it is possible the building as it stands was first built even earlier, but no evidence remains.

However, local tradition maintains that a church of some form has been on the land since before the Norman Conquest, with Harold Godwinson said to have heard mass in a chapel there on the eve of the Battle of Hastings.

The church was badly damaged in July 2010 after a fire broke out in the organ loft. A restoration effort was completed in 2014.

For further information on the proposals see application reference RR/2019/2758/P on the Rother District Council planning website.

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