Days left to save Bersted from housing

The stark warning was given by residents as they launched a frantic fight to stop 2,500 homes being built in their area.

The preliminary responses to the option to build the massive development '“ with space as well for jobs and community facilities '“ have to be delivered by next Thursday.

Winston Crescent resident Janet Bradfield said everyone needed to be aware that they had to act fast to protect Bersted. "We have got seven days to respond. Please do it immediately and not some time never.

"We need to lose any apathy we have and fight this scheme on the basis of not in our backyard as it would be the case for those who are proposing the housing.

"We need to stand up and be counted. We need to raise the points about the possible downgrading of the hospital and that there are no jobs."

Tom Frears, who has put together a list of 19 objections to the housing, stated: "We have got seven days to put together solid opposition to this proposal."

Experienced campaigner Iain Palot said: "We want to make sure that everybody who is going to object does so with one or two objections.

"The only way we can persuade Arun District Council to stop the proposals is to inundate them with paper and copy (housing minister) Margaret Beckett as well.

"It's no good moaning or bellyaching once the houses start going in. We need to complain before the event '“ not afterwards."

About 100 residents packed the Jubilee Community Hall for an extraordinary meeting of Bersted Parish Council.

They lined the walls and stood at the back of the 90-minute session as the parish councillors decided to form a working party to finalise their objections to the housing intentions.

The working party consists of six parish councillors, three residents and Aldwick Parish Council chairman Cllr Carol Wiseman.

This acknowledges the fact that residents of West Meads in Aldwick will be directly affected if the housing goes ahead on the northern side of Chalcraft Lane because it will be behind their estate.

The working party's formation was agreed unanimously by the 13 parish councillors present at the vote. Its conclusions will be based on Mr Frears' work and a preliminary report by parish council clerk Michael Johnson.

The results will be sent to the district council to form part of its first round of public consultation into the housing options.

After that, Bersted councillors will consider hiring planning

consultants to represent them at the examination in public, likely to take place around June 2010, which will consider objections to the development scheme selected by Arun.

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