Flats planned for industrial site

The 1.8m-worth of properties are set to replace an office and warehouse in Durban Road.

An outline planning application for the change of use at the site at 17/18 Durban Road has been submitted to Arun District Council by Mr P Hudson.

The proposal seeks to establish the principle of developing the land for 17 one-bedroom flats in a rectangular three-storey building fronting Durban Road.

A suggested market price for the apartments, enclosed with the application, puts their value at about 105,000 each.

Steve Sherlock, the sales manager for Bognor estate agents Your Move, said: 'This is marginally below the average price for flats of this type in Bognor and represents a highly affordable price for which there is strong local demand.'

Mr Hudson's planning agent Graham House says the proposed block would reflect much of the surrounding area and a larger block of flats being built on the opposite side of Durban Road after councillors who opposed residential properties in an industrial area were over-ruled by a government planning inspector.

Mr House comments the site does not make an important contribution to the supply of premises and jobs in the area and there is no requirement to safeguard it for employment uses.

'The existing building is in employment use but is not part of the original industrial estate, having been erected independently at a later date apparently as a purpose-built design for a particular user.

'Its scale and appearance are somewhat domestic in character and its location is better related to the residential areas to the west and south than to the employment area to the east.

'Overall, the current and planned provision of employment premises and land in this part of Bognor is very generous. There is no reason to suppose that the loss of the site to residential purposes will cause any adverse effects.

The density of the development is appropriate on a small site. It strikes a reasonable balance between the need to provide more housing, the need to use land efficiently and the need to respect the character of the area and the amenities of adjoining residents, states Mr House.

'We consider that the proposal represents a more efficient use of the site offering environmental and housing benefits to the district.

'Turning more generally to employment land considerations, the Durban Road estate is poorly located by comparision with other estates in the area.

'And the application property is of an outdated design which is not suited to the needs of modern industrial or warehouse occupiers,' he continues.

'Furthermore, there are substantial industrial estates in the immediate vicinity, including the South Bersted and Southern Cross estates, which are better located and more attractive to employers.'

He adds Arun has also allocated new employment land slightly further north.