Plans for ‘village wine factory’ near Horsham spark concern

Mannings Heath Golf and Wine Estate is seeking planning permission from Horsham District Council to demolish some redundant agricultural buildings on its site in Hammerpond Road and build a winery and tasting venue.

But the proposals are being met with strong opposition from local residents and parish councils who fear that they will end up with an industrial factory in the countryside.

There are concerns over the size of the wine production operation - the winery aims to produce 95,000 bottles of wine a year with 285,000 bottles in storage - and there are fears that it could lead to a dangerous increase in traffic in the area.

Colgate Parish Council says it ‘strongly objects’ to the winery which is in an area of ‘outstanding natural beauty.’

“The wine processing facility is an industrial development and not an agricultural development and would be more suitably placed on an industrial estate,” it said in a letter to planners.

It added: “The local road network is unsuitable for the volume of traffic that this development will generate” and that “the traffic will be a danger to horse riders, walkers and cyclists on the narrow roads, which are single track in places.”

It suggested the winery would be better located at the Mannings Heath sister wine site at Leonardslee in Lower Beeding.

Nuthurst Parish Council says it objects “in the very strongest possible terms” and maintains the proposals would mean the “imposition of a large factory into the parish’s much-valued countryside.”

Previously, the wine estate sought permission for a wedding venue and restaurant as well as the winery, but is now seeking planning approval for just the winery and tasting venue.

However, Nuthurst Parish Council fears that expansion with a restaurant and wedding venue could still follow.

It says the winery would amount to a totally unacceptable change of use of the land.

Scores of letters of objections from local residents have also been lodged with Horsham District Council.

Architects George Baxter Associates, acting on behalf of the Mannings Heath estate, say the winery building is required on site to enable the production and storage of

wine grown from the vineyards.

“The building will process 120 tons of grapes per annum and will contain all the equipment and machinery required to facilitate the pressing, fermentation, bottling and storage of the wine.” They say the ancillary tasting venue would be erected to adjoin the winery.

They add: “The size and scale of the proposed winery has been carefully considered, reduced to the bare minimum to allow the winery to be functional while minimising any impact on the surrounding scenery.”

They also maintain that thew inery would provide economic benefits through the generation of employment.