Angmering car dealership recommended for refusal

Officers at the authority are recommending that councillors sitting on Arun’s powerful development and control committee refuse the application by Chandlers BMW to construct a state-of-the-art, multi-use showroom, MoT facility and workshop on land in Roundstone Farm.

This follows a desperate plea by the dealership’s franchise director, Martin Walsh, last month, urging Arun to approve the six-acre site, which he claimed would save all 88 people currently employed across its various aging facilities in Angmering and Rustington, as well as creating almost 30 new jobs.

However, members of Ferring Conservation Group argued that the development would encroach upon the strategic gap between Angmering, East Preston and Ferring and could open the flood gates for further urbanisation along this protected semi-rural stretch of land.

Around 210 letters of objection were received by the council, with many citing concerns about the development on the strategic gap, as well as the impact the proposed dealership could have on the nearby A259, south of Roundstone Farm.

Strong objections were also received from Angmering, Ferring, East Preston and Kingston parish councils as well West Sussex Count Council representative for East Preston and Ferring, Peter Evans,

In a letter to Arun’s planning officers, Mr Evans said he was “concerned about the commercialisation” of area in light of the recent completion of the Asda superstore, a few hundred yards east of the proposed site.

Mr Evans said: “Arun District Council has given approval for car showrooms and ancillary building just a mile to the west of this site and this is where Chandlers should be relocating their business to.”

Speaking to the Gazette following the planning officers decision, Mr Walsh said: “Obviously we’re extremely disappointed at this stage.

“We have registered an appeal because certain information that the councillors requested from us to be provided doesn’t seem to have been supplied in the report.

“So yes, we are very disappointed by the move. We put together a strong case and fully understand the points registered in there in terms of the objections. But councillors haven’t been able to hear the full story.”

Councillor’s sitting on the development and control committee will debate the application during their next meeting, on Wednesday, April 10, at the Arun Civic Centre, in Maltravers Road, Littlehampton.