Pagham wartime defences to be saved from demolition

Last November, Arun District Council resolved to approve the application for land north of Sefter Road but the decision was looked at again in September so members could consider the impact on the post.

They then deferred that application until a commitment could be secured from Taylor Wimpey that the post would be protected.

A report to a meeting of the development control committee on Wednesday (October 9) said the developer had accepted a condition that, before any building work started, details would be provided explaining how the post would be integrated into the development.

This was welcomed but some councillors had other concerns about the application.

Addressing the meeting as ward member, David Huntley (Ind, Pagham) said that, while he was ‘delighted’ the infantry post was being conserved, he still felt the development should not go ahead because ‘it’s on coastal flood plain’.

While his views were shared by some, it was pointed out that issues such as this had been discussed at the 2018 meeting when the application was approved.

They could not be discussed again.

The committee agreed that authority should be given to Group Head of Planning Neil Crowther to grant planning permission once a Section 106 agreement had been completed.

The meeting started with an apology from Richard Bower (Con, East Preston), who had muttered ‘idiot’ at the September meeting when chairman Jamie Bennett used his casting vote to approve the deferment.

Mr Bower said: “I do apologise. It was a comment made in the heat of the moment.”