More deliveries to proposed store at Aldwick’s former Ship Inn prompt safety fears

Strong concerns about road safety were voiced by Arun councillors about proposed operating conditions for a future convenience store occupier of the former Ship Inn pub in Aldwick.
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The premises, which is currently empty having been briefly run as a Morrisons, could re-open as a One Stop store, a prospect that has attracted vocal opposition from campaigners hoping for the return of a community pub.

One Stop has applied to change the planning conditions set in 2014 for the previous occupier so it can increase the number of deliveries from 21 to 36 a week and alter the permitted delivery hours.

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However this application was not supported by Arun District Council’s development control committee yesterday (Wednesday January 8), with members overwhelmingly backing a deferral so an independent road safety audit can be carried out as well as to receive more information on vehicle tracking.

The former Ship Inn pub in AldwickThe former Ship Inn pub in Aldwick
The former Ship Inn pub in Aldwick

A number of councillors took issue with the proposal to allow large delivery lorries to park on the road itself as an alternative to unloading in the car park.

They felt this would mean insufficient road width for two vehicles to safely pass each other.

They also heard how there were plans to narrow the parking bays on the other side of the road and put in a pedestrian crossing point, something that should have been done when the former pub was first opened as a convenience store.

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Roger Beam, chairman of the Friends of the Ship Inn, suggested West Sussex County Council had ‘not adequately considered the road safety dangers’, adding: “At some point you have to say enough is enough.”

Officers argued that a ‘mild inconvenience’ of two vehicles not being able to pass if a lorry was parked outside the store would not warrant a reason for refusal.

They also pointed out how 15 extra deliveries a week was slightly more than an average of two a day.

But Hugh Coster (Ind, Aldwick East) felt this was a significant 71 per cent increase and argued it would be impossible for two vehicles to pass with a lorry parked up.

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He also raised the effect on visibility for drivers exiting the car park.

Cllr Coster added: “This all seems hugely unsafe to me.”

Jacky Pendleton felt the proposals would turn a village street into an industrial environment, while Martin Lury thought the changes would lead to road ‘chaos’ and a traffic ‘nightmare’.

Neil Crowther, the council’s group head of planning, said: “This application, like many applications we deal with, is not perfect and not an improvement on the existing situation but that’s not to say it should be refused.”

Ricky Bower then proposed a deferment and this was accepted by the rest of the committee.

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Meanwhile an application for signage for One Stop Stores at the former Ship Inn at Aldwick has been submitted to Arun.

The plans include externally and internally illuminated fascia and projecting or hanging signs for One Stop Stores at Aldwick Street.

The signs are aluminium with a blue logo on a red background.

To find out more about the plans and see images go to the Arun District Council planning portal at www.arun.gov.uk/weekly-lists using reference AW/337/19/A.

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