East Grinstead Bungalow to be demolished and replaced by four pairs of semi-detached houses

The application for the site in Morton Road was given the thumbs-up by members of the planning committee on Thursday (November 2) – but it was by no means a unanimous decision.

Similar plans from Manor Homes (South East) Ltd were refused in 2021, with an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate also being dismissed.

The proposed three-storey buildings were considered to be ‘very bulky and dominant’ and out of character with the area.

The council received 56 objections to the plans, with concerns raised about over-development and how the new homes were still too tall.

It was a view shared by Dick Sweatman (Con, East Grinstead Herontye), who called the proposed development ‘still overbearing’ and pointed out that the height of the roofs had only been reduced by 20cm.

He said: “On the previous inspector’s report, he does say that the proposal would be harmfully at odds with the scale and character of the surrounding dwellings.

“I don’t think that has changed.”

Jim Dabell (Con, East Grinstead Town) said the proposals looked like ‘a quart in a pint point’, adding: “The whole thing looks well out of keeping [with the area].”

The councillors had to decide whether enough had been done to address the concerns previously raised by officers and the planning inspector.

While agreeing that the development would be ‘too dense’, John Hitchcock (Ind, Crawley Down) said: “The inspector gave a very clear guide, in my view, as to what was required to make this site acceptable – and it would appear to me that this application has come pretty close to complying with that.”

Paul Kenny agreed, adding that the district did need the housing.

While officers had recommended the application for approval, Janice Henwood (Lib Dem, Burgess Hill, Franklands) called for it to be refused on the grounds that one of the buildings – plot 2 – gave the site a ‘squeezed in and over-developed’ look.

Her call was rejected by nine votes to three and the plans were approved by same margin.

To view the application, log on to DM/23/0925 and search for pa.midsussex.gov.uk .