Inquiry will begin to determine whether breach of planning regulations has occurred at Fareham site
An inquiry will begin next week to determine whether a breach of planning regulations has occurred at a site in Fareham.
The Planning Inspectorate will consider an appeal against an enforcement notice issued by Fareham Borough Council, which seeks to clear land at 237 Segensworth Road to enable future housing development.
The inquiry is scheduled to start at 10am on Tuesday, October 28, at Fareham Borough Council offices. Relevant documents have been published ahead of the hearing.
According to the council’s statement of case, there has been a material change in the use of the land without planning permission. The site previously had permission for the keeping of horses and the seasonal sale of Christmas trees.
In 2019, temporary planning permission was granted for three years to allow one family to use the site as a gypsy pitch. That permission expired in January 2022.
The land is part of the council’s Local Plan and is allocated for the development of 348 homes.
The council claims the site is now being used for the siting and storage of shipping containers, portable buildings, gym equipment, furniture, garden tools, caravans, motorhomes, and other vehicles, that a mobile home is being used for residential purposes and that a barn on the site is being used to repair vehicles.
In response, the appellant’s statement of case argues that no planning breach has occurred and calls for the enforcement notice to be quashed or for planning permission to be granted for the current uses.