Client
Location
Old Brighton Road North, Pease Pottage
REMIT
Planning Appeal for the construction of 51 dwellings on a site in a village location adjacent to a sensitive part of the Strategic Road Network.
BACKGROUND
RGP had prepared a comprehensive Transport Assessment for the site and negotiated positive recommendations from both Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency), with responsibility for the A23/M23 close to the site, and West Sussex County Council with responsibility for the local roads. However, Mid Sussex District Council resolved to refuse the application citing highway capacity and safety as a reason for refusal amongst other areas of concern, following significant objection from local residents and the local Parish Council.
RGP’S APPROACH
Despite Mid Sussex removing their highway related reason for refusal from the Appeal, prior to the informal hearing, it was evident that local
objections would be strong and the Inspector residing over the Appeal, a Chartered Civil Engineer, would be giving the objections reasonable weight in his considerations.
RGP prepared a further Appeal Statement which presented the previously submitted technical data in layman’s terms with a view to diffusing the situation. The first principles approach to traffic impact and the clear explanation to presenting the information relating to the local conditions succeeded in ensuring that the Inspector granted planning permission for the scheme, despite his site observations being distorted by long term roadworks in the locality.
The local residents also gained a clearer understanding of local highway conditions as a result of RGP’s work.
