Villagers set out to decide future plan for Felpham

The Felpham Plan will outline how the village's future should be tackled.

Issues such as traffic, the sea, beach and promenade, public spaces and play areas and the social life and community spirit will be included in the document.

Its intention is to create a sustainable community strategy for the future.

The first stage in its preparation will occur at Felpham Village Conservation Society's annual meeting with an initial discussion about the plan.

This will take place at tomorrow (Wednesday, April 1) 7.30pm at the Felpham Village Memorial Hall in Vicarage Lane. Everyone is invited.

The area to the north of the village is about to change beyond recognition as work starts on a new estate of 700 homes and the eastern section of the Bognor Regis relief road.

Joan Aubrey Jones, the society's chairman, said it was the ideal time to take stock of Felpham and what laid in store in the decades ahead.

The compilation of the plan could be the biggest community exercise Felpham had seen for many years.

"It is important that all of Felpham should be involved in this statement of the future. We want to make people feel part of Felpham's future," she stated. "The A259 Felpham Way acts almost as a Thames barrier through our village.

"People south of it think of Felpham. North of that they don't know where they are.

"We want to get people from that part of the village interested in this plan," she explained.

The proposal for Felpham follows similar documents which have been compiled for areas such as Ferring.

Pagham and Middleton have also put together village design statements which cover how residents want to see the development of their areas take place.

The society has 275 active members but nearly 400 invitations to the meeting are being sent out to everyone connected with it.

They are going to Felpham parish councillors as well as members of other councils and the local churches among others.

"We need some more people to support the village," added Mrs Aubrey Jones. "Felpham is a big place and there must be other people who are prepared to help."

The plan will be subject to various consultations before a draft version is presented to Felpham Parish Council before being endorsed by all councils.