The South Downs National Park Planning Committee rejects the proposals
At its meeting on 11 April the National Park’s Committee agreed unanimously with their officer’s recommendations that planning permission should be refused.
The officer’s report had identified that the potential 80-bedroom hotel close to the A3 Buriton junction would fail to conserve and enhance the National Park landscape, would significantly harm the existing rural landscape character of the area and would result in a peri-urban form of development.
It was therefore felt that the proposals were contrary to at least eight important policies in the National Park’s Local Plan as well as National Planning Policy Frameworks and the Statutory First Purpose of a National Park.
Speaking before voting on the scheme, members of the committee said that it was “fundamentally unacceptable” and “totally against our purposes”. Others emphasised that the project failed to enhance the National Park and raised concerns about access arrangements, reliance on car-borne visitors in an out-of-town location and erosion of the gap between Petersfield and Buriton.
The applicants claimed that the development would meet a long-standing and identified hotel need and would not threaten businesses in Buriton.
Representatives of the Parish Council, Buriton’s Village Design Statement Group and local residents made representations to the meeting before the proposals were considered and their deputations are attached at the foot of this web-page.
The Parish Council's initial objection to this planning application can be found here and more information about Buriton’s Village Design Statement which is taken into account in all planning applications can be found here.
The South Downs National Park Planning Officer's report, containing all their reasons for recommending refusal, is also attached at the foot of this web-page.
