Too many houses?

On the one side, Arun District Council has on its housing register 171 people with Angmering as their first choice. Of these, 42 currently live in Angmering, with only 18 defined as being in housing need.

Riding to the rescue, on the other side of the equation, is Barratts/David Wilson Homes, who would like very much to build, in a greenfield location, an estate of 301 properties, of which 90 are defined as affordable.

Of these 90, 63 would be rented homes, owned by a housing association, and 27 would be shared ownership.

Why 90, when at most 42 are needed to fulfil local demand?

Furthermore, if Angmering’s overall need for housing over the next 15 years, as calculated by Arun, is for a maximum of 150 houses, how is it tenable that a single development of 301 houses built over five years should receive serious consideration?

On the grounds of housing need alone (notwithstanding the issues with traffic congestion, overcrowded schools and lack of jobs, about which others have written), I find myself unable to support a housing development as large as this one, and would urge all Angmering residents who haven’t yet done so to vote “No” in the ballot being conducted by Save Angmering, the closing date for which is Sunday.

James Gallop

Cumberland Road

Angmering