The Good News: The Secretary of State has stopped Chichester District Council from approving this application. An Article 31 Direction is now in place while government considers whether to "call in" the case for national determination.

Why This Matters: We've highlighted serious failures in how this application was handled:

✅ Highway safety laws admitted as broken - West Sussex Highways acknowledged the passing bays don't meet Highway Code standards, yet approved anyway

✅ Legal protections ignored - The Hierarchy of Road Users (Parliament's 2022 rules protecting vulnerable road users) wasn't applied at all

✅ Officer failed to do basic homework - Grid connection documents showing major limitations were on the planning portal since July, but the officer maintained vague language for 4 months

What We're Doing: We've submitted a detailed case to the Planning Casework Unit explaining why this requires national determination. Andrew Griffith MP supports the call-in request.

What Happens Next: The Secretary of State will decide whether to:

Call it in for public inquiry and national determination, OR
Let it return to the council to issue their decision

How You Can Help:

🔹 Share this update - The more people who understand what's happening, the better

🔹 Stay informed - We'll update as things develop

Key Messages to Use:

"Highway safety laws were admitted as broken, yet the application was approved"

"This sets precedent for whether renewable energy can override safety protections across England"

The Bigger Picture: This isn't just about Wisborough Green. With £40 billion in grid connection investment at stake, there's massive pressure to approve "shovel-ready" renewable projects quickly. This case will establish whether safety standards can be compromised in that rush.

Legal Next Steps: If the Secretary of State declines to call in, we have specialist planning lawyers ready to challenge the decision. We're also examining ecological assessment failures.

What NOT to Do: ❌ Don't assume this is "won" - the Article 31 Direction just prevents approval while government considers ❌ Don't make personal attacks on councillors or officers ❌ Don't spread unverified information.

Timeline:

✅ 3 Dec: Committee voted to approve (6-3)
✅ 5 Dec: Secretary of State issued Article 31 Direction
✅ 10 Dec: Detailed call-in request submitted to government
⏳ Next few weeks: Government decides whether to call in
⏳ If called in: Public inquiry process begins
Stay Engaged: This is a critical moment. Government intervention shows serious concerns about how this application was handled.