Councillor to stay away from key talks on Angmering housing

Councillor Dudley Wensley, who is also deputy leader of Arun, said he would not be going to the meeting at Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton, on Wednesday afternoon (August 7).

However, fellow Arun councillor for the village, Andy Cooper, told the Gazette he would be attending.

In June, it was revealed an Arun officer had emailed developers linked to proposals for up to 600 homes, and also Angmering Parish Council and the three Arun councillors for the village, inviting them to ‘discuss the sites east of Roundstone Lane and the approach to the delivery of a comprehensive development, infrastructure provision and potential financial contributions’.

These would include funding for road improvements and possibly a primary school.

News of the meeting prompted an angry response at the time from campaign group Save Angmering Village (SAV). It accused Arun officers of going against a decision by councillors in May, to put large-scale housing sites on ice while data on housebuilding figures was analysed.

Nothing sinister

Cllr Wensley said: “I’m not going. I don’t think there is any suggestion that anything sinister is going to happen there. The difficulty I have is that, if a meeting happens with developers, officers and councillors, it could be perceived that the councillors are negotiating with developers.

“My personal view is that councillors should not be sitting round the table to negotiate with developers. That is the responsibility of officers, with their professional expertise.”

He added that he continued to oppose unsustainable development in the village and had objected to the three planning applications submitted to the council for sites in Roundstone Lane.

Cllr Cooper said he had been requested to attend the meeting by the parish council, which is also sending its clerk to observe the proceedings.

He said: “It’s important that someone goes along, to keep abreast of the situation. I’m going to be there to observe, not negotiate - that is the responsibility of the professional council officers.”

Re-stating his stance against unsustainable development in the village, he added: “I will be very keen, if anything is to go ahead, that there is an element of control. What we don’t want is the worst case scenario of piecemeal development going ahead, but nothing going back into the community,.”

The third Arun councillor for Angmering, Paul Bicknell, could not be contacted, but it’s understood he will not be going to the meeting.