Lavant Parish Council S, Response to the C

Lavant Parish Council’s Response to the CDC Local Plan

Key Policies

General Points Relative to Chichester District Council Policies : 1, 2, 3, 26, 45, 55 & 58

The Parish of Lavant lies to the south of the South Downs and the North of Chichester and with regard to development policies falls under the jurisdiction of the South Downs National Park and Chichester District Council.

The village of Lavant comprises of East Lavant, with the Village green, St. Marys Church and the Royal Oak Pub. Mid Lavant which has the Eastmead Industrial Estate, St. Nicholas Church, The Earl of March public house and the main residential area in Lavant and West Lavant where Lavant House School is located.

Due to the parish falling under the jurisdiction of two Planning Authorities, we need to formulate a Local Plan and submit this to Chichester District Council before the deadline of 11.59pm on the 3 rd of May 2013 for any submission made to be validated. This will also be copied to the South Downs National Park Authority for their information.

We propose that the Local Plan should reflect the views of the community for the three distinct areas of the village as well as for the village as a whole in order to respect, as much as possible, the distinct character of Lavant.

The Village of Lavant is predominantly rural in nature and as such any new development in the area should reflect this in its scale and character.

We have listed below a number of key areas where we feel the views of the local community need to be considered when assessing development policies for the Parish of Lavant.

Specific Areas Related to Key Development Policies

Infrastructure: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 9, 10, 43, 48

Much of the infrastructure around the Parish of Lavant has suffered by neglect and inefficient installations, general consideration should be given to improvement under the above policies.

Foul and Surface Water Disposal: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 9, 10, 43, & 48

The sewerage system for the Parish is constantly inundated by water runoff from the South Downs finding its way into the system via cracked drains, which has resulted in Southern Water using the practice of over-pumping of dilute screened sewage into the River Lavant.

Sewage-contaminated water causes eutrophication, which is the increase in concentration of chemical elements required for life. The nitrates, phosphates, and organic matter found in human waste serve as a food for algae and bacteria. This causes these organisms to overpopulate to the point where they use up most of the dissolved oxygen that is naturally found in water, making it difficult for other organisms in this aquatic environment to live.

The River Lavant discharges into the Chichester Harbour, which has a number of cockle beds that are harvested by local fishermen and the public. Shellfish strain water through their gills to trap microscopic plants and animals for food. If the water was contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, these could be consumed as food by shellfish. When eaten raw or partially cooked, these shellfish can make people sick.

Highways: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 7, 8, 9 & 40

The roads to the north of Chichester are primarily rural roads and as such are unsuitable for large volumes of traffic at peak times. The problem is that they are also the main roads out of Chichester leading to the north of the district. They are badly maintained and in some areas dangerous.

There is no bypass to the north of Chichester and therefore at peak times Chichester runs the risk of becoming gridlocked, especially when the railway gates are down, which can sometimes be for twenty minutes when three trains follow through in succession.

Public transport through Lavant is severely limited by the fact that bus services generally stop at 7.30 there are no rail services and taxi services are expensive. There is therefore a heavy reliance upon personal modes of transport. There is a lack of parking provision to dwellings in lavant with a reliance on on-street parking for many properties.

It is our recommendation that until such time as the basic infrastructure is improved it would be irresponsible to consider any medium to large scale developments in the parish of Lavant.

Consideration should also be given as to the impact of developments in neighbouring parishes and to the effect that they may have upon the Highways infrastructure generally, so that volumes of traffic are not made excessive in one parish by development in another.

Economic Development: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 48, 49, 51 & 53

The Eastmead Industrial Estate is the only area within Lavant that has a Commercial / Light industrial designation, but by modern standards would be considered to be tired. Consideration should be given as to how this area can be sustainably improved and refurbished. Any development of this site should however be carried out in a way that is sympathetic to the surrounding residential areas in its height along the external boundaries so that it does not overshadow existing properties.

The area that lies within the South Downs National Park, and the parts of the Parish of Lavant that lay within the Chichester District Council, that border the SDNP, should not be automatically precluded from being developed for agriculture, ‘Country Pursuits’ or activities allied to tourism, for example small scale hostels or B & B’s. Of the 46.3 million day visits recorded, only 1.9 million (4 per cent) are from people staying overnight within the Park compared to 6.8 million by visitors sleeping in accommodation outside the Park. People living in the South Downs enjoy 6.5 million leisure visits to the National Park each year with a further 31.1 million being made by local people living nearby. As such this is an area where economic development mainly in the areas associated with ‘country pursuits’ could bring benefits to the community of the Parish of Lavant; however any development opportunities proposed should be carefully considered with regard to appropriateness, scale, environmental impact, appearance and benefit to the community of Lavant.

Residential Development: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 48, 49, 51 & 53

Given the condition of the infrastructure to the north of Chichester, no large scale developments should be considered unless they are fully sustainable, with community based sewage treatment plants, not individual treatment units, since they are liable to be rendered inefficient due to the use of biological detergents and sulfactants in cleaning products commonly used by householders.

The Parish of Lavant was split into two parts by the by the Creation of the South Downs National Park on the 1st of April 2011, whereas this does not preclude any development to the north of the parish of Lavant, it does mean that development has to be of a kind that is small to medium scale, with attention to the environment in which it is located for sustainability and impact. It should also reflect the style that is already in the area.

These rules should also apply to development within the parish that falls under the remit of Chichester District Council. With the added proviso that any development should be to the north of Lavant so as to preserve the strategic gap between the suburbs of Chichester and Lavant, which we feel is a vital contributory to preserving the appearance and community spirit of Lavant.

Development should also be of a good mix to provide housing to meet local need, with good quality housing, there should be no diminution of standards for social housing, and dwellings should be houses rather than apartments. Developments should be provided with adequate local and community facilities where appropriate. Goodwood: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 1, 3, 8, 10, 26, 27, 29, 32, 40, 43, 48, 49, 51 & 53

The Goodwood motor circuit and airfield fall within the Parish of Lavant and has a significant role both historically and to date in the area. The estate is an established business that is diverse in nature, and forward looking. The introduction of BMW Rolls Royce to the area was only made possible due to the efforts of the Earl of March, the proximity of the motor circuit that could provide testing facilities and possibly the closeness of the airfield which would allow private aircraft to land nearby.

Goodwood provides two major motoring festivities each year; The Festival of Speed and the Revival. Nowhere else in the world can motor sport enthusiasts get so close to the latest and greatest cars and drivers.

The Horse race track provides a magnificent setting for ‘Glorious Goodwood’ as well as other events throughout the summer.

The Goodwood Hotel, Golf course, Estate and Goodwood House, provide a host of other employment, recreational and agricultural activities in the region.

We feel therefore that any development within the parish of Lavant should reflect the importance of the Goodwood Estate as a major contributor to the economic and rural life of the area, and not be detrimental to the functioning of key aspects of the estate.

Ecology: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 41, 42, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50

The environment of the parish of Lavant is essentially rural in nature with open views to the South Downs and Kingly Vale. All of which deserve special consideration when applications for development are to be determined.

Kingley Vale is a special, spooky and spectacular hillside to the north west of Chichester. The highlight of which is the yew woodland covering much of its southern slopes. A small number of the trees are very old indeed - probably over 500 years old. Before man and sheep started to have an impact on the landscape of the South Downs, yew forests were relatively common. Now they are rare.

The River Lavant is a winterbourne that rises at East Dean and flows west to Singleton, then south past West Dean and Lavant to Chichester. From east of Chichester its natural course was south to the sea at Pagham, but the Romans diverted it to flow around the southern walls of Chichester and then west into Chichester Harbour. As such the River Lavant plays an important part in the ecology of the area; it also plays an important part in channelling flood waters away from Chichester. In recent years it has burst its banks causing flooding in Singleton, East Dean, Lavant, Chichester and Westhampnett. Much of this could be said to be due to years of neglect by the The National Rivers Authority and local farmers who have allowed the river to become choked by vegetation.

We believe that the River Lavant should where possible be deepened and vegetation cut back along the watercourse so as to provide a proper channel for when the river floods. There are areas along its course where the ecology should be protected. Where intervention should be minimal, there are also flood plains along its route that should be maintained as areas where development should be restricted and not be allowed to hinder the natural inundation of the land. In all events there should be proper planned maintenance.

Travellers: CDC Policies to be considered for the following: 32 & 37

Chichester District Council should, in conjunction with the local parish councils, formulate proposals for the provision of sites throughout the district, where travellers may camp for short periods of time that can be properly maintained and supervised, giving travellers access to schooling, medical and social welfare facilities. This would remove the need for travellers to park on private land, where they often cause criminal damage.

Conclusion:

In essence any development proposals should;

 Not cause irreparable harm to the area. Refer to CDC Policies: 1,2,6,8,43,45,47,48,49,50,51.

 Provide services and infrastructure to the area that will be capable of meeting the needs of the area into the next century for traffic, waste disposal, flooding and social amenities. Refer to CDC Policies: 7, 8, 9, 10, 40, 43, & 48.

 Maintain and improve the quality of life of the residents of the parish. Refer to CDC Policies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 27, 35, 36, 37,38, 39, 43, 45, 47, 48, 49, 51 & 53.

 Provide housing that is of suitable mix and scale, to meet the needs of local residents, respect the open nature of the village, and be respectful of the rural scale and nature of Lavant. Refer to CDC Policies: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 48, 49, 51 & 53.

 Preserve the environment of the Parish of Lavant, taking into account the need to protect the chalk downs flora and fauna, visual amenities and flood plains. Refer to CDC Policies: 6, 9, 10, 43, 45, 47, 48, 49 & 51.

 Maintain the strategic gap that exists between the suburbs of Chichester and Lavant in order to preserve the distinct identity of Lavant as a village. Refer to CDC Policies: 2, 26, 44, 46 & 48.

 Provide employment opportunities that are suitable to the area, of a scale that will not be detrimental to the environment and quality of life of the residents of the parish. Refer to CDC Policies: 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 48, 49, 51 & 53.  Take into account the provision of schooling, medical facilities, and social amenities that should be allied to such developments. These should wherever possible be provided as part of the development being considered. Refer to CDC Policies: 6, 7 & 9.

 Development should make use of ‘brown-field sites’ and ‘infill sites’ within established developed areas as priority. ‘Green-field’ sites should be considered as low priority areas for development and should only be considered where the develpment is of significant merit, and of benefit to the community of Lavant as a whole. Refer to CDC Policies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 27, 34, 35, 36, 37,38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51 & 53.