deLAy in providing a new Shop in Loxwood - april 2022

The Parish Council have sought clarification from Chichester District Council's Development manager Fjola Stevens as to the current status of the new shop planning approval.
The response received was
"I can confirm that the current application for the shop and residential development has been held up by the introduction of the need to demonstrate water neutrality. The case officer is working with the developer to resolve the issue and a scheme to off-set the water usage has been developed and submitted to the Council. There are however some complex legal matters that relate to the particular application and the level of off-setting proposed. This has meant it has been necessary for the developer to apply to discharge the conditions on the originally approved application. This process will demonstrate that the existing permission on the site would be built out if the current application is not permitted and as such only the uplift in water demand between the 2 proposals need be mitigated. Officers will continue to work with the developer in respect of the outstanding issues, although unfortunately the timeframe for resolving the issues will lie in part with consultees and therefore outside of the Council’s control."
 
The Parish Council note residents' concern should the current village shop close and there be no replacement for the many villagers who rely heavily on the local shop. This state of affairs now looks highly likely if the existing shop closes in September.
The Parish Council will be discussing this at their Annual Parish Meeting on 25th April 7.30pm in North Hall. Please come along to be part of the discussion.