Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment

The Sustainability Assessment (SA) assessed the 9 suitable HELAA sites but only tested one scenario of 50 homes for Boxgrove Parish. We think that this is inadequate. The SA states that there are ‘broad strategic arguments for directing a proportion of growth to this area (e.g nutrient neutrality and waste water treatment). However, the SA also states that there are limitations to potential residential growth in Boxgrove, outlining how the village is ‘distanced from a railway station and there is an extensive Conservation Area, including the ruins of Boxgrove Priory, alongside a Grade 1 Listed Parish Church’.

Overall, we feel that the broad strategic arguments identified in the SA for directing growth to Boxgrove Parish can be accommodated for a greater number of homes than the 50 homes proposed. The 9 HELAA sites, already identified earlier on in this Consultation response, have a combined total of 610 residential plots and are:

- Located outside the Nutrient Neutrality Requirement Zone.
- Located outside the Water Neutrality Zone.
- Located outside the proposed Strategic Wildlife Corridors.
- Located outside Strategic Flood Zones.
- Located outside Groundwater Source Protection Zones.
- Well served by principal Highway Networks.
- Well served with proposed additional educational capacity.
- Well served with adequate wastewater capacity (please see below for details).
- Lastly, the landscape capacity of Boxgrove Parish has potential to accommodate additional housing growth.

Overall, we feel that the Plan has the potential to accommodate a strategic level of growth within Boxgrove Parish of between 200 – 600 new homes. This is significantly more than the 50 new homes proposed within the current Reg 19 Submission Draft.