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Bellway’s plans to build 73 homes in Southwater approved by councillors
13th May 2026
Revised plans for 73 homes on land east of Shipley Road in the Sussex village of Southwater have been approved by councillors.Revised plans for 73 homes on land east of Shipley Road in the Sussex village of Southwater have been approved by councillors.
The application, by Bellway’s Southern Counties division, was discussed by Horsham District Council’s planning committee on Tuesday (12 May) after previously being deferred.
The new detailed plans feature a range of houses and maisonettes, with a three-storey apartment building previously included in the site layout now removed.
The new development will be called Clover Fields and will include 44 two, three, four and five-bedroom houses for the private market, and 29 affordable two and three-bedroom homes available for local people through low-cost rent or shared ownership.
Fern Whiles, Planning Manager for Bellway Southern Counties, said: “We have worked closely with the local planning authority to design a new development which meets the needs of the local community and achieves a sensitive transition to Southwater’s rural surroundings.
“In response to councillors’ views, we have redesigned the site layout to include two-storey maisonettes which provide a softer edge to the green space and integrate seamlessly with the surrounding houses.
“We are therefore pleased to have secured the support of the committee and look forward to moving forward with our plans for the site.
“The development will provide much-needed additional housing for the area, while also complementing existing homes in the area through the use of materials and architectural features seen locally.
“These will be highly sustainable homes, heated by air source heat pumps to minimise carbon emissions, and with electric vehicle charging points installed to encourage electric car use.
“We will also be retaining mature trees around the site and creating new green public open space, including a children’s play area, which will benefit the wider community.”
Bellway plans to support local wildlife by including bat and bird boxes and hedgehog highways, as well as incorporating native planting. It aims to increase the biodiversity of the land by at least 10 per cent.
Bellway Southern Counties is building new homes across Sussex and Surrey, with more information available at https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/southern-counties.
