Plans for 42 Rusper homes ‘far too big’

Chanelle Ayre has been found safe and well, police said

Proposals for the units on a mix of greenfield and brownfield land at Millfield Farm off Horsham Road, along with a new access on to East Street, were refused by Horsham District Council’s Development Control Committee.

Councillors argued that the site was not a sustainable location, was outside the built up area boundary of the village, and represented overdevelopment.

Rusper resident Peter Hooton explained that the village suffered from heavy traffic during rush hour, public transport was limited, the school was oversubscribed and would not be able to cope with any extra children, and Rusper’s drainage was already overstretched.

He felt that homes on just the brownfield part of the site would have been unanimously supported by residents.

But Harry Groucott, agent for the scheme, described their approach as ‘sustainable and sensible’ as they could have designed a scheme for 90 units on the site rather than 42, and thought it would replace the ‘unslightly’ industrial buildings.

Chris Carey, one of the applicants, said that the scheme would provide a ‘youthful and economic boost’ to Rusper.

But Liz Kitchen (Con, Rusper and Colgate), chairman of the committee, explained that while she welcomed the effort made by the applicant to consult the village and described the run-down part of the site as ‘hideous’, she still felt it was too much housing for a ‘relatively small village’.

She said: “As it stands it’s far too big for the site that it’s on.”

Tricia Youtan (Con, Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham) agreed with Mrs Kitchen and called the derelict run-down buildings an ‘absolute disgrace to the village of Rusper’, but wondered if it was possible for the applicant to come back with an application for homes on just the brownfield part of the site.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes

3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

The County Times – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.