East Preston green land to be cleared to make way for two new homes

In 2021, the district council refused an application to build a pair of semi-detached houses at the junction of Heathfield Drive and Downs Way.

The decision was overturned on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate the following year.

During a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (April 19), members were asked to give the final nod to the look of the development.

They did so but Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston) and Isabel Thurston (Green, Barnham) made it clear that they were less than pleased with the whole thing.

Mr Bower questioned the consistency of decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate, maintaining that the application should not have been approved on appeal.

He was called to order by chairman Terence Chapman (Con, East Preston), who said that the appeal decision was not relevant to what the committee was being asked to consider.

Mrs Thurston added that it was a ‘matter of huge regret’ that the 1,353sqm site, which has a healthy covering of trees, shrubs and grass, would be developed.

Describing the site as ‘habitat’, she added: “I regret very much that somebody wants to put not one but two houses there. I find it very regrettable.”

The application was previously deferred, which was held on March 21 and attended by four members of the planning committee.

To view the application, log on to www.arun.gov.uk/planning-application-search and search for A/257/22/RES.