A further blow

The report by Arun officers to the council’s development control committee, although otherwise a very comprehensive, professional document, was, nonetheless, defective, as the members were not adequately advised on this safety issue.

The suggested provision of the bridge was dismissed on the grounds that “this... would not meet the test for contributions... as it would not be necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms (and) is not directly related to the development”.

No explanation was given why other proposals that similarly could be held not to comply, including the provision of a bus service between the business park and Rustington, a bus shelter and finance towards the local road system, were, nonetheless, required.

Arun’s flexibility to negotiate, as planning authority, was ignored, as was the undertaking previously given by the council to the joint eastern Arun area committee that, if the county council was able to provide a justification for the bridge on transport grounds, Arun would then be “happy to flag this up with developers and request a contribution as part of a section 106 agreement”.

Although the county council has, apparently, not carried out these investigations, a bridge has been proposed for many years, its cost provisionally estimated at £750,000, and adequate justification has been established.

The provision of adequate access for pedestrians and cyclises was stated as a planning policy requirement that was held to be satisfactory eastwards to Angmering. The need to continue this provision to Rustington was ignored.

No mention was made of the joint committee considering the application and its justification of the bridge on safety grounds for its impact on staff and customers accessing the store on foot, providing pedestrian access to north Rustington, providing safer access to The Angmering School and improving disabled access.

Arun’s decision now has to be referred to the secretary of state for the environment and communities to decide whether to call in the application for his own determination. I am requesting him to give the provision of this safety measure full consideration.

Kenneth W. Grimes

Broadmark Avenue

Rustington