On Friday afternoon (3rd July), more than 100 Easebourne residents turned out to hear from the Midhurst MP Andrew Griffith and to show him why they are united in their opposition to two sites earmarked for development in the South Downs National Park Local Plan.
Andrew Griffith MP was joined by Councillor Francis Hobbs (Easebourne, Chichester District Council), and Nicole Reid, spokesperson for Working Together for Easebourne, meeting in the grounds of Budgenor Lodge. Budgenor Lodge is a Grade II listed Georgian workhouse that is now residential. It is located immediately next to one of the agricultural fields which has been assessed as developable for more housing, extending the village’s settlement boundary into open countryside.
Residents shared their biggest concern, that the rural village of Easebourne has been grouped with Midhurst in planning terms by the SDNPA. The MP supports their call that Easebourne is a separate settlement with its own characteristics, boundaries and limited infrastructure and should be assessed independently of Midhurst through its own transport, heritage and conservation reports.
Andrew also viewed another green field which is an historic green gap within the Easebourne Conservation Area, proposed for even more housing in the village.
The SDNPA Local Plan is reaching its final stages, with a Regulation 19 consultation concluding last month. The next stage is for Members to agree to any final modifications based on feedback before submitting the Plan for examination with the Planning Inspectorate.
The residents, through the local campaign group Working Together for Easebourne, have asked Andrew Griffith to help them escalate their concerns.to ministers and to stand with them as the Local Plan progresses. They want Budgenor Lodge and its surrounding area to be fully recognised as a place of heritage significance and for consideration to be given to this in plan-making.
Andrew Griffith said:
“The turnout in Easebourne demonstrated just how passionately local people feel about the proposed expansion of Easebourne. This is not a handful of objectors, but a village standing up for itself, asking for Easebourne to be assessed as a separate village and not as a conurbation of Midhurst. They are rightly calling for this now before the SDNPA submit a deficient plan to the planning inspectorate.”
