An appeal against a decision by Arun District Council to refuse planning permission for a block of flats has been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate, on the grounds that other sites with a lower risk of flooding are available in Bognor Regis.

The Planning Inspectorate upheld the decision taken by the Council in January 2008 to refuse planning permission for the demolition of a business unit at Durban Road Industrial Estate in Bognor Regis, to be replaced by a block of eight one-bedroom and six two-bedroom flats.

The Council's main objection was that the loss of an existing employment site was unacceptable, and at appeal the Council's consultants also raised concerns about the potential flooding issues at the site.

-- Advertisement --

The site in question is within Flood Zone 3, which is defined as an area with a high risk of flooding. Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) sets out Government policy on development in flood risk areas and requires that a sequential approach is taken to the allocation of land where there is a flood risk, particularly for residential dwellings which are classed as a 'more vulnerable' type of development. This means the development of sites in Flood Zone 3 should only be considered when there are no reasonably available sites in Flood Zones 1 and 2, which have a low to medium risk of flooding.

In his report, Planning Inspector Mr M Hetherington stated: "It has been demonstrated there are alternative sites available for new housing within Bognor Regis that lie within lower flood risk areas all of which are sequentially preferable to the Durban Road site."

(CD/JM)