Plans to redevelop Lancing garage blocks spark opposition from neighbours: “Nobody wants this”

A Lancing resident says he and his neighbours are strongly opposed to council plans to redevelop the garage blocks alongside their homes.

Phil Stewart, who has lived in Mash Barn Estate for five years, gathered 50 signatures against the proposals in the space of just an hour and a half on Sunday morning and said residents’ views were clear: “Nobody wants this.”

The council has put forward proposals to demolish garage blocks at Daniel Close, Gravelly Crescent and Shadwells Road to build a total of 22 new homes – read more here.

It is part of wider plan to redevelop 10 small sites of council-owned land in the district of Adur to provide affordable homes.

The council said many of the garage blocks were in a poor condition and too small for modern cars.

But Mr Stewart said most of the garages near his home were well-used, often by people with disabilities who needed somewhere to store their mobility scooters.

The 34-year-old, who works as a PR and digital manager for Honda, had asked the council if he could use one of the garages for his motorbike around six months ago, but said he was refused because none were available.

His motorbike was stolen from outside his home shortly afterwards.

He fears getting rid of the garages and building more homes would make parking in the area worse.

Mr Stewart said it was already ‘a nightmare’ in the Mash Barn Estate. “The cars are scratched, there’s not enough places to park,” he said.

The construction of the development would bring noise and congestion, creating a building site 30ft from the front of his house, he said, adding: “All of these houses are going to overlook everybody’s gardens.

“It’s going to be invasive for people.”

The council said the new homes would be for local people on the council’s housing register.

Mr Stewart said he was not against creating more housing, and said of the 700 people currently on the council’s housing waiting list: “I want every single one of them to have a house.”

But he said building homes in that location was ‘not good for anybody’.

A consultation into the proposals for the three sites is open until Friday.

See the consultation documents and have your say on the proposals here.