The chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning committee, Councillor Julie Cattell, has responded to a ruling by the Planning Inspectorate regarding an application to build 45 dwellings on land south of Ovingdean Road, BN2 7AA.
The planning committee had refused the application, but the Planning Inspectorate has now allowed it.
Councillor Cattell said:
"The Planning Inspectorate is independent of the council and we have to abide by its decisions.
"I think this decision makes it clear that the Planning Inspectorate expects a certain amount of controlled development to happen on our urban fringes.
"I fully understand that feelings run high about developments on our urban fringe, and I’m sorry for any residents who feel badly affected by this.
"There is massive housing need locally and nationally. With this in mind we have identified a number of sites where appropriate development might be acceptable.
"This is one of those sites. Identifying these sites will help protect other sites where we believe development is not acceptable.
"We scored a major victory at this site in March 2016 when we successfully rejected a plan for 85 dwellings.
"At that time the Planning Inspectorate agreed with our refusal, but made it clear that in their eyes a smaller development at the site might be acceptable.
"In rejecting an application for costs against us the Planning Inspectorate has made it clear that it considers the actions we have taken in relation to this application to have been reasonable."
The application in question is on the council's planning register, reference BH2016/05530.
The Planning Inspectorate's reference for their decision is: APP/Q1445/W/17/3177606.