Growing problem of land around Chichester district being split into smaller lots and sold

Know as sub-dividing, the process sees landowners split their land into small parcels before selling it off to one or more buyers to do with as they see fit.

During a meeting of the full council, councillors supported a notice of motion from Peter Wilding (Con, Fernhurst) who spoke about the damage this has caused, especially when it comes to agricultural and forestry land.

Mr Wilding said: “There is a growing problem in this district and across the UK of speculators buying areas of farm land or woodland and then selling it on the internet in small lots.

“The speculators can double or treble their investment but at the same time they are permanently ruining the landscape by turning fields and woods into allotments [and the like].”

He mentioned five such cases in his ward, while other councillors spoke of other in Lodsworth and Patching.

While the council as planning authority has some powers – such as removing permitted development rights so that each landowner has to seek planning permission to make changes – members agreed that more needed to be done.

Leader Eileen Lintill agreed to write to Gillian Keegan MP to ask her to lobby the government to legislate against sub-dividing.

Susan Taylor, cabinet member for planning, said many of the plots of land were being advertised as building sites and people were buying them, thinking they could just build a home there, despite there being no planning permission and no connection to services.