Upper Beeding residents protest plans for major new housing development

Outline applications from Rydon Homes propose more than 50 new homes in Pound Lane subject to adoption of the new neighbourhood plan.

Pound Lane resident Gaynor Faulkner said a draft plan, which included the new homes, had been rejected in August, but feared it was being rushed through.

“Ninety-nine per cent of people are against it,” claimed the 66-year-old.

“The infrastructure just won’t cope with it.

“The neighbourhood plan said it should be to enhance the village with smaller plots central to the village.

“We’ve not even had the vote for the neighbourhood plan yet. They are trying to push it forward before the neighbourhood plan is agreed.”

The development is formed of two separate applications – one for 31 houses and one for 23.

Similar applications were rejected in 2015 on the grounds of not being ‘essential to its countryside location’ and not supporting the needs of agriculture and forestry.

There was also deemed to be insufficient levels of affordable housing and too close to the Grade II listed Pound House Cottage.

Increased planting has been proposed to mitigate the effect on the cottage.

Pound Lane resident Sandra Bearman, 43, said her concern was that due to affordable housing being assigned to those on a district-wide waiting list, the development would not benefit the local community.

“My objection isn’t for affordable housing,” she said.

“My objection is that I wanted this affordable housing to be for our community. It will benefit the district, but not the parish.”

The exact amount of affordable housing has not been outlined in the proposal, but Horsham District Council policy is for a minimum of 35 per cent for developments of this size.

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