Aldwick joins battle to halt new housing

Parish councillors in Aldwick are preparing to join with their neighbours to fight a large housing scheme on their doorstep.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2009, 09:15 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 19:10 BST

The council members agreed on Monday, February 16 to revive the Unity grouping with their counterparts in Bersted and Pagham to present a united front against the proposed development.

The suggestion of the new Unity was being passed on by Aldwick Parish Council's chairman, Cllr Carol Wiseman, to Pagham Parish Council before its meeting on Tuesday. Cllr Mrs Wiseman told Aldwick's members about the need for action at their meeting on Monday.

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She said: "The proposals off Chalcraft Lane will affect the residents of this parish, even though it's in North Bersted, particularly those residents who live in West Meads.

"They have clear and uninterrupted views across to the South Downs but, if this scheme goes ahead, they will have lots and lots of buildings and lorries there instead."

Cllr Dr Jim Ramage was the parish council's chairman at the time of the original Unity formation about five years ago.

It was set up to argue the case for the northern relief road to be built before any homes went up on the site six housing scheme in North Bersted and Felpham.

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They achieved some success with the time-scale for the road's opening being set at 101 houses put up for sale compared with the original proposal of 300, he said.

Work on that development has been halted because of the economic slump.

"I find it bizarre that the site six development is on hold because of the state of the economy," he commented, "and we have got 1,350 homes which have been approved and will add to the congestion on the roads because there are no jobs.

"But, at the same time, we have developers who want to come along and create even more properties when we have such an over-supply. It beggars belief.

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"All the housing will do is to add to the traffic load on the A259, which is manifestly inadequate already.

"No one will give us a date for the relief road to be built but I would not mind betting there will be lots and lots of houses before we get it."

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