Council holds up Felpham 464 homes plan

They said the development of 464 homes proposed by builders Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes was bland and unattractive.

They also wanted more facts about seven sets of details of the biggest housing scheme in the area for probably 30 years.

The deferral by Arun District Council's development control committee was greeted with anger by the companies' representative. Ten officials from the two firms were present at the meeting and had to sit in silence as their proposals were severely criticised.

The detailed approval now has to wait until another meeting of the committee. Its date is yet to be fixed, though it is likely to be May.

The latest decision in a saga which is about to reach its ninth anniversary does not alter the fact that the housing will happen.

That has been agreed in principle by the government and the council. It does though, represent, a significant setback for the developers.

Arun's head of planning services Howard Cheadle said: "It's appreciated that this is a multi-million pound development which the applicants want to get started.

"But it also has to be appreciated that there was a lot of public opposition to this scheme in the initial phase.

"The council made a commitment that the scheme which came forward would be a high quality scheme that could be 'sold' to the community."

Cllr Jacqueline Maconachie (Aldwick West) said: "We want a high quality development which is going to serve the district for the generations for which it is going to be there."

Graham Beck, speaking for Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, urged the committee to make a decision. He said approval for the housing was needed to enable the developers to start building the Bognor relief road which the development was funding.

A very tight timetable was in place to enable the work to go ahead where it meets the existing A259 and goes over the railway line.

"I am not happy with the committee and I know Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are not happy for the wrong reasons.

Arun planning officer Stephen Cantwell said large question marks remained about the amount of open space which would be provided among the housing and when it would be available.

There was also a doubt about the amount of proposed parking and how the land would be drained.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes proposed a mixture of two, two-and-a-half and three-storey houses and three-storey blocks of flats. Two shops will be provided. Strong interest is said to have been expressed by potential retailers.

For a full report see next week's Bognor Observer

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