Press Release

Inquiry Refused

For Immediate Release.

News that Government have refused a Public Inquiry into the housing development and Titnore Lane road works (1) in West Durrington near Worthing approved recently by Worthing Borough Councils Development Control Committee (click), has angered environmentalists.

In the letter (2) sent from the Government Office for the South East to the applicant and to all those who made representations to Ministers and officials within the Government Office for the South East and central Government departments, it was stated that the Secretary of State’s general approach is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. He will, in general, only step in if contentious planning issues were of more than local importance.

It was judged in this case that there is not sufficient conflict with national planning policies i.e. Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (PPG3): Housing; PPG13); Transport; (PPG9): Nature Conservation; Or Planning Policy Statement 7 (PPS7): Sustainable Development in Rural Areas; or any other sufficient reason, to warrant calling in the application for his own determination.

It was acknowledged that the proposal has generated considerable opposition locally.  However, it has not given rise to national controversy, or to substantial regional controversy.

In the final paragraphs the letter said: “As the proposal does not raise matters of more than local importance, the Secretary of State has therefore decided that he should leave the decision on whether or not to grant planning permission in this case to the local planning authority”.

However the letter does go to state that: “ In considering whether to exercise his discretion to call in this application, the Secretary of State has not considered the adequacy of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) produced in support of this application.  The local planning authority responsible for determining this application remains the relevant authority responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 are complied with.

In response John Clark from campaign lead group Protect Our Woodland said: “We are deeply concerned that this refusal of our justifiable request for a Public Inquiry will now lead to non-violent direct action from others. It would not surprise me if the developers and road builders became the center of attraction to Swampy type actions, last seen in the Newbury’s of the 90’s”.

“For a Government that states its determination to protect the environmental heritage of the countryside and then not to examine in public this massive greenfield development, is breath taking. Any Government that sweeps aside the concerns of some of the most highly skilled nature conservation professionals, and allow pressurised Town Hall officials make decisions that will destroy such a sensitive area, is unforgivable”.
ENDS.

Editor’s notes.

(1) A MASSIVE battle is now shaping up to save unique ancient woodland in West Durrington near Worthing in West Sussex under serious threat from property developers and road builders. Titnore Lane and the development site are located to the north east of Highdown Hill between the A27 and A259 to the South. To the north of the site and the A27 lie Clapham Woods (the largest dip slope unitary ancient woodland complex on the South Downs) and the South Downs where the ground rises to above 300 feet.

Titnore Lane for many years has been a rat run for traffic commuting between the two major south coast trunk roads - now made even worse since being wrongly classified as an 'A' road when the A27 Patching spaghetti junction was built -  but its origins date back into prehistory as a droveway. From those very earliest times the Lane has been an important feature in the life of community's, whether it be for moving animals, food or timber the chances are that it has always followed the same meandering trial. But not anymore if the planners get there way.

The first stage of the horrific plans involve 850 new homes - together with the widening and straightening of Titnore Lane to cope with the increase in traffic between the A27, A259 and the new developments. The proposed road works would plough through rare ancient woodland, some of which has been there since the last ice age. The whole area has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) and is completely irreplaceable. Several hundred trees would have to be felled, many over 150 years old and comprising oak, ash birch and willow. The woods are home to many protected species of wildlife, including bats, crested newts, dormice, slowworms etc.

These trees are part of one of the last remaining areas of ancient woodland on the coastal plan and ironically even the developer accepts that the ancient woodland is of great conservation importance, as it is known to support a considerable variety of bird species, Long Tailed Tit, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. They also accept that the Oaks along Titnore Lane are of lichenological interest and include Schismatomma quercina, which is very rare in Sussex and the uncommon species Arthonia vinosa.

Titnore Lane itself is part of our cultural heritage, reaching back at least to the Anglo-Saxon period and most probably way before that. It was part of a longer track that reached northwards across the Downs and is rich in archaeological remains. The woods below Highdown hill, the important Iron Age hillfort hat is cared for by the National Trust, is an important amenity for local people, it's setting would be severely affected by the massive housing estate - and by the increase in traffic. It should also be noted here that Highdown Hill is the oldest part of the South Downs. But that's not all. Although the present development application covers over 125 acres - some within the designated South Downs National Park - but crucially much is outside. 

The full area threatened by future development is bordered by the A27, Adur avenue, Fulbeck Avenue, Titnore Way and Titnore Lane The central OS Grid Reference is TQ 10499 05317. This area contains the Grade 1 listed Castle Goring, it's historic parkland and lake, together with Roman and prehistoric archaeology as well as the unique ancient woodland. 

It is worthy of note that in his report, the inspector who carried out the recent Local Inquiry into the Worthing Draft Local Plan stated: 'Proper recognition should be given to the importance of the Castle Goring Conservation Area'.
Finally the full horror of this nasty development scheme will be clearly seen from Highdown Hill (National Trust) as the trees are felled one by one and their canopy is removed. Then, for all to see will also be the willful vandalism of the widened Titnore Lane that will dominate and destroy the setting, towards the north, of the South Downs that hopefully will be the next National Park .

(2) Dear Sir

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON GREENFIELD
LAND) (ENGLAND) DIRECTION 2000
OUTLINE APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF LAND FOR RESIDENTIAL, RECREATION, RETAIL, COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION PURPOSES AND IMPROVEMENT WORKS AT TITNORE LANE, WEST DURRINGTON, WORTHING
APPLICATION NO: WB/04/00040
APPLICANT:  THE WEST DURRINGTON CONSORTIUM

1.   I refer to your letter of 14 June referring to the First Secretary of State under the Town and Country Planning (Residential Development on Greenfield Land) (England) Direction 2000, an application for planning permission for the above development.

2.   As you know, the Secretary of State’s general approach is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so.  Parliament has entrusted them with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas.  Local planning authorities are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.

3.   There will be occasions, however, when the Secretary of State may consider it necessary to call in a planning application to determine himself instead of leaving it to the local planning authority.  His policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications.  He will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved and if those issues need to be decided by the Secretary of State rather than at a local level.  Each case is, however, considered on its own facts.

4.   We have carefully considered all the matters raised about this application.  The issue before the Secretary of State for decision is not whether the application should be granted planning permission, but whether or not he should call it in for his own determination.  In particular, in deciding whether or not this case raises issues which would justify a decision by him rather than the local planning authority, in respect of this application the Secretary of State considers that the main matters relevant to his decision are his policies with regard to:

5.   This is a substantial proposal involving all the issues set out above. Having considered carefully these and other planning issues raised by the proposals, together with all representations received, and having regard to his policy on call in (1), the Secretary of State has concluded, on balance, that intervention would not be justified, as there is not sufficient conflict with national planning policies on the above matters, or any other sufficient reason, to warrant calling in the application for his own determination.  The proposal has generated considerable opposition locally.  However, it has not given rise to national controversy, or to substantial regional controversy.  As the proposal does not raise matters of more than local importance, the Secretary of State has therefore decided that he should leave the decision on whether or not to grant planning permission in this case to the local planning authority.

6.   In considering whether to exercise his discretion to call in this application, the Secretary of State has not considered the adequacy of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) produced in support of this application. The local planning authority responsible for determining this application remains the relevant authority responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 are complied with.

7.  A copy of the permission that may be granted by the Council for the development should be sent to the Secretary of State at the above address.

8.  A copy of this letter is being sent to the applicant and to all those who made representations to Ministers and officials within the Government Office for the South East and central Government departments.

Yours faithfully

(1) The Secretary of State’s policy on call in is set out in a Parliamentary reply to Bill Michie, 16 June 1999, and a copy is attached.

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