Felpham residents fury over '˜bullying' developer's plans for more housing

Furious Felpham residents say they are being '˜bullied' by a developer building homes on their doorstep.
Angry Felpham residents believe the new homes will create a flood risk to their propertiesAngry Felpham residents believe the new homes will create a flood risk to their properties
Angry Felpham residents believe the new homes will create a flood risk to their properties

David Wilson has applied for permission to increase the number of homes on Phase 6 of Blake’s Mead from 61 to 94.

But residents backing onto the site say the extra houses will leave them completely overlooked, and fear the height of the homes will create a substantial risk of flooding to their properties.

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“We first found out they want to build 33 more homes on the site when we read it in the Observer,” said Geraldine Geary, who along with husband Colin and others living in bungalows on Shirley Drive and Lindsey Court expressed anger.

The view from one of the resident's back gardens of the new developmentThe view from one of the resident's back gardens of the new development
The view from one of the resident's back gardens of the new development

“The developer didn’t tell us, notices have only just gone up. We accept houses are being built there but not that many squashed together.”

The residents say the land is on a flood plain, and with the new homes being erected 1.5m higher than the level of their properties, any rainwater will wash straight towards them.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’ve seen six inches of water on that field,” said Lindsey Court resident James Denby. “The height they are building the new houses, any water will just flow right into our properties.

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“When they won planning approval it was for low-density, four and five bedroom houses.

“Now they want to change it to high-density, mostly three and four bedroom semis.

“I was going to have two houses overlooking my garden and now I’ll have eight, all my privacy will be gone.

Geffrey Smith, 75, another long-term resident, added: “We are going to have to put up with extra noise, the potential of being flooded, and no privacy from over development, Tell me who is going to pay for the damage when we all flood?”

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Tim Hill, managing director of David Wilson Homes, said: “An application to change the mix and number of homes at our development in Felpham was submitted to Arun District Council on May 6 and a parish meeting to discuss the application was held on May 23, with local members and residents present.

“The proposed levels remain unchanged from the original application and we are currently working with Arun District Council’s planning team to see if they can be reduced any further.”

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