Lavant Parish Council supports the Interim Policy Statement as it gives robust grounds for strong opposition to any encroachment in terms of speculative planning applications for housing development on sensitive areas of concern to the residents of Lavant: specifically, the Strategic Gap to the east and west of the A286, between the Chichester boundary at Summersdale and Lavant. It should be noted that this area was the subject of a planning appeal which was turned down, with LPC's active support.