Chichester District Council rejects plans for 22 traveller pitches in Sidlesham
The council have denied a retrospective application for Melita Nursery site in Chalk Lane due to flooding risks, over-development, and ecological concerns
Chichester District Council has refused a planning application to extend the number of traveller pitches at Melita Nursery in Sidlesham, a site that already hosts over 40 mobile homes despite having planning permission for just nine.
The council’s planning committee voted unanimously against the proposal to increase the site’s capacity to 22 pitches during a meeting on Wednesday, May 7.
The retrospective application was submitted in light of the existing unauthorised mobile homes on the site.
In addition to ongoing action by the council’s planning enforcement team regarding the unauthorised development, the committee cited several key reasons for refusal. These included concerns over the risk of tidal flooding, over-development of the site, and potential harm to local wildlife, including bats. There was also insufficient information about surface drainage on the site.
A report to the committee highlighted that, while the unmet need for gypsy and traveller accommodation was a factor in favour of the proposal, the development would lead to an overdeveloped site with poor internal layout and inadequate living conditions. The report further stressed that the plans would fail to protect the site’s ecology and biodiversity, adding that the adverse impacts outweighed any potential benefits.