South Downs Holiday update – from Chichester District Council

As you are aware, we have been keeping you updated on the situation at South Downs Holiday Park, and we promised to let you know as soon as the planning application appears online.

 The last time we updated you, we said that we had received a planning application from the management agents Cre8, and that this was going through the validation process. We also explained that this process might take a little bit of time before the application goes online, which is normal procedure.

 The planning application has now been validated and can be viewed at https://publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ORFLC4ERH7D00  . You may also be aware that we have received a valid licensing application for the site, which can be viewed at https://publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage  .

For those who are not familiar with this case, a couple of months ago we were made aware that the South Downs Holiday Village was being used to accommodate agricultural workers. Following our investigations, we issued a Breach of Condition Notice on the management agents, Cre8, and the owners, Seaward Properties This required the management agents, Cre8, to stop using the holiday accommodation for residential purposes within 28 days (from the day the notice was served).

 The management agents, Cre8, submitted a planning application for a change of use of the site, to allow them to use the site to accommodate agricultural workers. This was received within the 28 day notice period.

In these circumstances, it is appropriate that any formal legal proceedings are placed on hold until the outcome of the planning application is determined. This is because it is unlikely that any legal action would be upheld by the courts while an application is under consideration. The planning application will give residents the opportunity to comment on the development and the local planning authority the chance to properly assess it against the planning policies of the council’s adopted Local Plan. It is necessary for this process to be undertaken objectively and thoroughly.

The planning application is now on our website and is available for the public to view and comment on. It will also be publicised in the local newspapers and on notices at the site. It will be given careful consideration by the council and will follow the normal planning application process. It is anticipated that the application will be reported to the council’s Planning Committee for a decision in due course.

We understand that some residents may feel frustrated by the time that this has taken, but planning is a very complex area and we want to reassure you that we are taking the appropriate and timely action.

If you are interested in keeping updated on planning applications in your area, then please sign up to our alert system on our website. This lets you know when planning applications in your area appear on the planning portal (as long as they are not within the South Downs National Park). You can do this by visiting http://www.chichester.gov.uk/viewplanningapplications