Café owner set to defend riverside flats bid

Almost 50 letters opposing the River Road development have been sent to Arun, with further objections from the town council, Environment Agency, county highways department and the council's own conservation architect and conservation area committee.

But Ms Wood insists her block of flats, preserving part of an old flint-walled warehouse, deserves to be approved because of its "outstanding" design, by a leading international architect.

The plans were set to be rejected by Arun without even going before councillors, but Ms Wood, who is about to see her striking East Beach Caf opened on the seafront, succeeded in having the scheme aired in public, at Thursday's development control committee.

She said: "If we want to encourage outstanding architecture to come to Littlehampton, it would have been a great shame for this to be turned down without a hearing."

Writing to councillors who will consider the planning application, Ms Wood says John Pardey Architects, the practice which has designed the flats, has won more than 20 national and international awards and was a finalist in the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award 2004 and in the Grand Designs Awards 2006.

Her statement added that the scheme would maintain the last remaining link with Littlehampton's riverside past on the East Bank, would allow people to use the river frontage and would improve the character and quality of the area "with a development of high quality and innovative design that creates an elegant bookend" to the built-up area along the River Arun.

The four-storey block of nine two-bedroom and three one-bedroom flats, with parking on the ground floor, would take up most of the existing Riverside Autos site. Part of the exterior walls would be retained and incorporated in the development, blending the old and the new.

However, in a report to the committee, Arun planning officers say they do not consider the design preserves or enhances the character or appearance of the River Road conservation area.

Setting out four reasons for refusing planning permission, the report adds that the scale and size of the new building would be out of keeping with neighbouring properties, its access could cause a highway hazard, it goes against policies restricting building in flood risk areas, and has no provision for open space or play areas.