Bognor planning decisions should be made closer to home

Town councillors agreed to ask Arun District Council to split its development control committee, which decides planning applications, in two.

They want proposals for the western half of the district to be considered around Bognor. This would allow the important matters to be dealt with by elected members closest to the town.

At present, all the committee's meetings every three weeks take place at the Arun Civic Centre at Littlehampton.

Its members represent an east-west stretch from East Preston and Angmering to Pagham.

The town council is to ask neighbouring local councils for support in its fight.

Cllr Greg Burt said now was the time to consider changing the planning decision system when the number of applications had dropped because of the recession.

It would also help the public understand why unpopular decisions, such as the rejection of Asda, were made.

"The decisions would still be the same but people are more likely to accept them if they are made in meetings at the Arun Leisure Centre or Bognor Regis Community Centre, and people saw local councillors making them," he commented.

Cllr Simon McDougall, a member of the development control committee, said splitting the committee would be no more than copying the actions of Chichester District Council.

Another of the committee's members, Cllr Jim Brooks, stated: "It's got to be better the nearer decisions are made to people.

"If people could be much closer to us, they would realise all about the material considerations from the government we have to take into account when deciding applications."

The council's call follows a demand from Bognor Regis Civic Society in January for decisions which affect the town to be made locally.

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