West Sussex pony sanctuary facing uncertain future
They've warned a housing development could force them to move
A Pagham organisation which rehabilitates and cares for ponies and horses faces continued uncertainty as plans for homes at its stables await final approval.
Pagham Ponies cares for animals at its stables at Church Barton House, Horns Lane.
Hampshire Homes currently has outline permission (or permission in principle) for up to 65 homes to be built at the site, which was granted in 2019.
Further plans have since come forward which outline the design of the development (P/139/22/RES).
This could soon see full planning permission granted.
Nigel Mundy, who runs Pagham Ponies on part of the site, is concerned the animals will have nowhere to go if planning permission is granted.
Earlier this year, he described how various arrangements have fallen through which threatens the future of Pagham Ponies.
“I’ve got nowhere else to go,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, “If I’ve got to get rid of the horses some of them are going to have to be put to sleep because they’ve got issues which mean they can’t go to a new owner.
“It’s a horrible situation to be in.”
He fears that the horse sanctuary will be considered less important than housebuilding targets when the latest stage of the application is considered.
Minutes from a development and control committee in 2019 show an attempt to defer the plans due to concerns over access to the site; proximity to a nature reserve; and biodiversity and ecology concerns.
But this was unsuccessful and the application was approved.
Mr Mundy is concerned about potential flooding and the effects on the surrounding areas if the development goes ahead.
“My trade for most of my working life was civil engineering and groundwork and I know more about drainage than most,” he said.
If rising sea levels aren’t accounted for, Mr Mundy believes this could increase the risk of ground water flooding.
Mapping at the time of the original application showed a ‘low risk of flooding’ but a ‘high risk of ground water flooding’, according to West Sussex County Council, the lead local flood authority.
Arun District Council’s drainage engineer had no objection to the plans but asked for winter ground water monitoring to take place.
A design statement submitted with the plans say the development: “Should provide the opportunity to lower the risk of flooding and improve the quality of run off leaving the site by using Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).”
It adds that ‘flow restrictions, permeable paving, swales, and storage basins’ will be installed which could ‘filter out silt, heavy metals and other pollutants to benefit the local ecology’.
A drainage strategy has now been submitted.
The Pagham South ‘strategic’ area – which has been allocated for development by the council – will also see 400 homes built next door at land south of Summer Lane and west of Pagham Road.
More details about the plans can be found at the council’s planning portal using reference:P/139/22/RES.