Plan for commercial buildings and parking spaces in Pease Pottage receives objection letters from residents

Shellwin Real Estate has applied to build two commercial buildings for Class E(G) Light Industrial or B8 Storage and distribution use on land on the east side of Old Brighton Road South and land south of Imperial House.

The application, received by Mid Sussex District Council on November 9 last year, was also for 12 car parking spaces with secure and covered cycle parking, as well as associated hard and soft landscaping, planting and boundary treatments.

The application form, submitted by the agent Lewis & Co Planning, said: “The site is largely brownfield land, with shrubs and small trees bordering the perimeter of the site with a telecommunications mast to the south.”

Nearby residents who objected are concerned the plan could cause too much traffic with one saying: “The roads in the area are not fit to support any further business.”

Another said: “This road is a lovely quiet rural road and most people moved here for this reason. New commercial business premises will bring more traffic and possibly vans and trucks.”

Residents are also concerned the proposal could lead to a loss of privacy, a loss of light and a have a negative effect on the environment.

A Design and Access Statement by Napier Clarke Architects said: “Our proposals will seek to minimise visual and ecological impact while supporting local business development. This will extend the existing offering for business industrial use present on the adjacent site to the north, as well as further north along the Old Brighton Road.”

It continued: “This project endeavours to contribute towards the local community through the redevelopment of a vacant site to provide flexible business use, as a community asset for future generations.”

The Design and Access Statement also said the proposed development would ‘provide ecological value’ with planting adjacent to the Old Brighton Road South ‘where it provides a mostly contiguous visual buffer/ amenity against the residential green’.

Shellwin Real Estate has been approached for comment. People can view the application using reference DM/22/3432 at pa.midsussex.gov.uk/online-applications.