South Downs Planning Newsletter – August 2021
THE LATEST NEWS FROM YOUR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY |
| This edition:Health and wellbeing What role should planning have in creating healthier places to live and work?Affordable housing Find out about a new high-quality scheme.Enforcement Learn more about two successful enforcement cases in the National Park.A star is born! Find out about a sensitive conservation project that has given a new lease of life to a historic inn.Download a PDF version of the planning newsletter hereWhy planning for healthy places is good for all of usWelcome to the summer edition of the South Downs Planning Newsletter. Tim Slaney, Director of Planning for the National Park, kicks off this edition with his take on the growing role of planning in helping people’s health and wellbeing. Read Tim’s think piece here.First-class development is given green lightA high-quality development that includes affordable housing and highway improvements has been given the go-ahead.The Authority’s Planning Committee voted to approve plans for 14 new dwellings on land at Limbourne Lane and The Fleet, in Fittleworth, West Sussex. Learn more.Grant paves way for new affordable homesTwo families are now starting a life in new homes in the heart of the National Park after the Authority provided funding to help secure affordable housing.The Authority helped to secure a grant of £60,000 for the Midhurst Community Land Trust. Find out more.Quality conservation is star of the show!A charming inn with a history spanning 800 years has been lovingly restored and improved to become a prestigious hotel business.The Star Inn, a Grade II* listed building in Alfriston, East Sussex, opened earlier this year after renovations that involved significant guidance from the National Park’s conservation team.The building was bought by Olga Polizzi in 2019. A member of the well-known Forte family of hoteliers and mother of Alex Polizzi, “The Hotel Inspector”, she had a vision of giving the historic inn a new lease of life and celebrating the property’s heritage. Learn more about the project.Youth centre gets makeover from fundingYoung people are benefitting from a sparkling-new kitchen at their youth centre, thanks to funding from the National Park Authority.The King’s Arms Youth Centre, in Petersfield, Hampshire, was given £15,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to refurbish the kitchen in their new permanent base in the town. Learn more.Harmful fencing is removed from landscapeFencing that was harming views of the South Downs landscape has been removed following a three-year enforcement case. Find out more.Developer is prosecuted for demolitionA developer has been prosecuted after demolishing a historic and characterful cottage in the village of East Meon. Find out more.News from the Park’s Host AuthoritiesThe South Downs National Park is one of the largest planning authorities in the UK in terms of the number of planning applications we receive each year and also one of the largest in terms of the geographical area we cover.This level of demand has seen new and innovative partnership models to ensure planning-related matters are dealt with as efficiently and effectively as possible.The Authority has developed successful hosting partnerships with Chichester, East Hampshire, Winchester, Horsham and Lewes. Here are some updates from our host authorities.New guidance for winemakers The Authority has produced new planning guidance for current and potential winemakers. Find out more.Consultation is launched on energy plansVicki Colwell, Principal Planning Officer, gives an update on proposals for a new renewable wind energy scheme that is now out for public consultation.Public vote in favour of neighbourhood plansFive more Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs) have been adopted following referenda in May. Find out more.  Views needed on new Draft Design GuideMark Waller-Gutierrez, Planning Lead Specialist, introduces an innovative design guide that is now out for public consultation.Providing guidance on best practice for achieving good design outcomes, it illustrates what ‘landscape-led design’ means for development in the South Downs. Learn more.Update on camping and glamping guidanceThe final version of the National Park’s Camping and Glamping Technical Advice Note (TAN) has now been published.The TAN explains how to make a successful planning application for camping and glamping that delivers multiple benefits to the nationally-protected landscape of the South Downs. Learn more.Did you know? A round-up from the last quarterAppeals submitted to Planning Inspectorate 13Appeals started 8Appeals determined 21Appeals successfully defended 16Statutory submissions received 1,204Statutory submissions determined 1,215Neighbours notified 4,740Representations received 1,741Consultations issued 3,205Conditions imposed 3,591Enquiries for planning advice 376Enforcement complaints received 295Enforcement cases opened 217Enforcement related site inspections 228Enforcement notices served 5Enforcement cases closed 172(Data from 1/4/21 to 30/6/21) Investing in our serviceWe want to provide the best possible service to customers who use planning services in the South Downs National Park.For this reason the Authority has commissioned independent research agency Marketing Means to undertake a Planning Customer Satisfaction Survey on our behalf. They will be contacting a sample of planning applicants and agents and Parish/Town Councils who have recently used the Authority’s planning service. They will be given the option of completing the survey either by telephone or email. The survey will take place between 11 October and 10 December 2021.If you have any questions or would like to find out more about this research please contact CSS-Planning@southdowns.gov.uk10 questions with…Naomi LangfordThis edition we catch up with Naomi Langford, a Major Projects Officer for the National Park.  Dates for the diaryThe next Planning Committee meetings will be held on 12 August, 9 September, 14 October and 11 November.All Planning Committee meetings agendas can be found here. Watch the committee meetings on webcastAgents’ Forum UpdateThe next meeting of the South Downs Agents’ Forum will be held at 4pm on Monday 18 October. The focus of the meeting will be biodiversity and looking at:• Biodiversity net gain• Call for sites• The role of planning in nature recovery.Lucy Howard, Planning Policy Manager, said: “The Agents’ Forum has been a real success and we’re excited about the next meeting. The meeting may be held virtually or in-person and we’ll make a decision closer to the time. We look forward to seeing all agents who regularly submit planning applications in the National Park to the Authority or the host authorities. Invites will be sent out shortly.”And finally…sit back, relax and watch this short video, which reveals how we achieve good design in the National Park. |