Traffic fears over bid for new businesses

The Glenmore Business Park would be right next to Shopwyke Lakes, the controversial 500-home strategic development site which got the thumbs-up in May.

The project’s green light also spelt the end for the Oving traffic lights, which had seen a campaign group launched to save them.

Campaigner and chairman of Oving Parish Council Sjoerd Schuyleman said he was concerned about the highways impact of the new application.

“This raises further traffic issues which are going to exacerbate problems on both the Portfield and Bognor roundabouts and impact on whether it was a wise decision to close the Oving traffic lights,” he said.

The site would be accessed via a new road off the A27, near the Portfield roundabout, with an access road via Shopwyke Lakes.

Glenmore Commerical Estates said no consultation was carried out with the highways authority, because the principle for this type of development was accepted and traffic issues were resolved under an existing outline planning consent. This was also why public consultation was not carried out.

The development at Portfield Quarry would see the initial creation of 35 units of varying size to the west of the site, with outline permission for further units.

Oving Parish Council is yet to decide its official position on the application and is due to hold a meeting this month to discuss it.

The site has seen previous planning applications made for business use but none have come to fruition.

The latest application would see parking for 114 vehicles, shared between the 35 units.

Sewage from the buildings will be collected in a balancing tank, before passing through a treatment plant, package pump station and into a drainage field at the west end of the site.

The Environment Agency has been consulted about flooding risk for the site.

Glenmore said most of the site is covered by buildings or paved, so surface water run-off will be no greater than present levels.