Secret meeting to be held about Bognor's Adsa plans

The behind-closed-doors session by Arun District Council has seen all 56 members of the council invited to attend Arun's offices in Littlehampton with the council's planning officers.

The Asda application will be decided publicly by the council's development control committee three days later.

The 17 committee members often have private sessions before their public meetings to enable them to raise detailed points with their officers about specific applications.

But the Asda session is different because it involves every councillor.

An Arun councillor for 14 years, Cllr Sylvia Olliver told Bersted Parish Council: "I'm not absolutely certain why this is being done. It's the first time I've ever known this. I don't see why all the councillors are involved, including those from the Worthing area like Findon.

"The council say they are giving background information but, from the agenda papers I've had today, I don't think they have missed anything out.

"It will take me three or four hours to go through them. We are quite capable on the development control committee of coming to a conclusion ourselves.

"I will not be attending Monday's (December 15) meeting. I will do what I always do with planning applications. I will listen, discuss and come to a conclusion at the committee meeting on Thursday."

Fellow district councillor Simon McDougall said: "Monday's meeting is a break with Arun's standard protocol as I have always understood it.

An Arun spokesman denied it was unusual in large and complex applications, such as Asda's, to brief all members on its background and the detailed supporting information.

He said: "Briefings such as these are designed to help keep members fully informed about applications which have taken several months to consider due to their complexity. There have been a number of incidences where the council has carried out such briefings in the past, including the site six development north of Bognor Regis."

The Asda application was missed from the latest monthly briefing because the officer's report had not been finalised.

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