Committee request

ALTHOUGH Arun District Council has granted planning consent for the Sainsbury’s redevelopment without the provision of a pedestrian/cycleway bridge over the railway at Mill Lane, Rustington, it, nevertheless, imposed a specific requirement in accordance with a section 106 agreement imposed as a condition of the planning approval.

This requirement stated: “The applicant will be required to contribute financially to transport schemes in the vicinity of the store, as identified and approved through the Joint Eastern Arun Area Committee infrastructure schemes prioritisation process.”

It would now appear that, in accordance with the Government’s most recent planning guidance, as contained in the national planning policy framework, its provision could, at the discretion of the joint committee, be regarded as part of a sustainable transport scheme.

I am therefore requesting the joint committee, at its next meeting on September 18, to resolve that the provision of the proposed pedestrian/cycleway bridge be included in its infrastructure schemes prioritisation process, and given special priority so it can be carried out expeditiously and, at relatively moderate expense, to coincide, as far as is reasonably possible, with the opening of the redeveloped superstore.

Kenneth W. Grimes

Broadmark Avenue

Rustington