VOTE: Angmering villagers plea to council over housing

The call comes just days before Arun ends the first stage of the consultation on its draft local plan, the blueprint for development in the district for the next 16 years.

And it became an even more timely cry, as developer Barratt David Wilson Homes submitted plans for 150 homes at Roundstone Lane, an area where campaigners fear up to 1,000 houses could end up being built.

Two major surveys, one by campaign group Save Angmering Village, and one by the group drawing up the village’s neighbourhood plan, have produced broadly similar results, showing overwhelming opposition to large-scale housing developments.

And so the publication of Arun’s draft local plan three months ago, including one option for up to 590 homes to be built in Angmering, caused widespread anger and dismay in the village.

Sue Ware, co-founder of Save Angmering Village, said this week: “We don’t think that Arun is listening to what the people of Angmering want. The neighbourhood plan is supposed to allow for a bottom-up approach to development, but with the housing figures Arun is imposing on Angmering, it’s the same top-down approach Arun complained about when the south-east plan set the housebuilding figures for the district.

“It is very important that people write to Arun objecting to these housing figures in the local plan, and also object to the Barratt David Wilson Homes plans which have just gone in.”

In its response to the local plan consutation, Angmering Parish Council accuses Arun of adopting a “Nanny knows best” approach to earmarking sites for housing in the village.

Ricky Bower, Arun cabinet member for planning, said the council would listen to the points raised by the people of Angmering.

* Save Angmering Village will be holding a letter-writing workshop in the village hall on Sunday (September 9) from 10am-4pm, for people objecting to the Barratt plans.

Read the full story in today’s (September 6) Littlehampton Gazette.

What do you think?

Do you think Arun District Council is listening to local people’s views when it comes to including large-scale housing development at Angmering in its draft local plan?

Cast your vote in the poll to the right of the screen and leave your comments below.