New homes in Barns Green rejected by council

An outline application was submitted to Horsham District Council back in January to build the new the homes on Ropers and Cheffins fields along Sandhills Road in the village.

At the council’s Development Control Committee North, held at Parkside, on Tuesday, councillors voted to reject the plans due to the poor access to the site and the fact the development was not sustainable.

Back in April more than 40 residents came out in protest against the plans.

According to developers the scale of development would be appropriate to the setting and would be in keeping with the character and appearance of the village.

However, planning officers recommended councillors refuse the application due to the size and scale of the development stating it was unsustainable.

They also raised concerns about the impact the build may have on a listed building opposite the development and the poor access to the site from Sandhills Road.

Matthew French (Con, Broadbridge Heath) agreed with the officers’ assessments stating access to the entrance was ‘dangerous’.

He said: “To me having the entrance where they are proposing on Sandhills Lane is not viable in any shape or form.

“It is nothing but dangerous and there is no way I can support it.”

Tricia Youtan (Con, Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham) agreed.

She said:“This is purely and most simply speculative.

“It is in the most awful location.”

Leonard Crosbie (LDem, Trafalgar) was also shocked by the application.

He said: “When I first saw this application I thought I must have misread Barns Green. I didn’t believe what I was reading.

“To me it is a classic example of challenge to a rural environment and challenge to a rural village.”

Councillors voted unanimously to support the officers’ recommendations and refuse the application.

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