Farm group loses appeal over Selsey homes despite council’s ‘unreasonable behaviour’

David Langmead lost his appeal against Chichester District Council’s (CDC) refusal to grant permission at Home Farm, Chichester Road.

The application sought a change of use for a building from agricultural workers’ hostel to nine market housing units.

A condition on a previous application in 2014 limited its use for people working in agriculture nearby.

Despite finding the condition was ‘not reasonable and necessary’, planning inspector L Gibbons said: “In the absence of measures to mitigate or avoid potential adverse impacts the effect of removing the condition would be harmful to the Special Protection Area and this is sufficient reason to dismiss the appeal.”

CDC has however, been ordered to pay costs because of ‘unreasonable behaviour’ in adding the condition when approving the original application in December 2014.

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