New planning rule should encourage investment for crucial North Bersted site

WORK has begun on introducing planning rules for a keynote commercial site north east of Bognor Regis.

The 69 hectares of land has been earmarked by Arun District Council for jobs creation by businesses.

The site has the potential to provide a major employment boost for the area in a project backed by councils, partnerships and businesses.

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Arun is drafting a local development order to permit specified types of development on the land.

The area fronts the A29 on the north side of the Southern Cross industrial estate and includes the former Lec airfield on the opposite side of the railway line.

The order will also cover land at Oldlands Farm, Salt Box field off Rowan Way and Rowan Park.

The area is known as enterprise@BognorRegis.

Ricky Bower, the council’s cabinet member for planning and infrastructure, said: “Once a local development order is approved, it will establish an area of permitted 
development where developers will be able to have more certainty about planning and development options.

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“It will send a positive message to prospective investors to invest in Bognor and act as a catalyst in promoting early development.”

The order for the site will support the employment policies to be contained in Arun’s local plan when it is approved by councillors.

Such orders are a form of permitted development backed by the government.

They exempt certain types of development and uses from the need to apply for planning permission by defining the type of development which is permitted.

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This allows developers to start work without having to put time and money in preparing a planning application which may be refused.

The draft order should be finished early next year to enable public consultation about it to start.

Arun is working with WSP and Terence O’Rourke to provide expert advice.

It is also working with the respective landowners.

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