Plans For 50 Homes In Kirdford Approved By Chichester District Council

Plans to build 50 homes in Kirdford have been approved by Chichester District Council.

The outline application from Welbeck Land for land west of Townfield, was given the nod by the planning committee on Wednesday (July 9).

The council received 150 letters objecting to the plans, with concerns raised including harm to the rural character of the village, a lack of infrastructure, flooding and drainage, and the impact on the ecology of the area.

Ward councillor Gareth Evans (Lib Dem, Loxwood) described the ‘frustration’ of residents that the application had been ‘hanging over their heads since February 2021’.

He said:

“Whilst I appreciate the challenging job that planning officers have, it feels to me that this is an unreasonable amount of time to determine an application of this nature, which should have either been refused by officers or withdrawn by the applicant until such a time that they could put forward a scheme that fits planning policy.”

The committee agreed with the officers’ recommendation that the application be approved – but it was by no means unanimous.

Donna Johnson (Green & Local Alliance Group, Sidlesham & Selsey North) said she was ‘unhappy’ with the plans, saying it was potential over-development and could put a strain on the village infrastructure.

And Richard Bates (Lib Dem, Harbour Villages) said if the council had the required five-year supply of housing land – rather than the current 2.01 years – the committee would be making ‘a different sort of decision’.

In the end, the plans were approved by five votes to two with one abstention.

The development, which will be known as Townfield Meadows, will include an access road from the point where Townfield and Cornwood meet. It will be made up of eight one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom, 16 three-bedroom, and eight four-bedroom homes, 15 of which will be classed as affordable.

To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 21/00466/OUT.