VOTE: Is a huge jobs boost on the way for Littlehampton?

Berkshire Capital Investment and Development Securities plc, who have now submitted their planning application for the store to Arun District Council, say the £20m scheme should provide 500 new jobs for the area, an increase of 30 over the figure given when the news broke in June.

Warehouses on the old Body Shop site between the A259 and Lyminster Road would be demolished to make way for a 25,000sq ft sales area Morrisons supermarket with petrol filling station, employing 300 people.

The store would have a 270-space car park and 34 cycle bays, with access for cars and delivery vehicles from the existing roundabout.

Existing offices on the site would be refurbished to create the Littlehampton Enterprise Hub, with 35,000sq ft of office space for businesses large and small, with the potential to provide 200 more jobs. Access would be from Courtwick Lane for the offices, with their own 90-space car park.

The planning application also includes retaining and enhancing boundary landscaping, and payments through a section 106 agreement focused on supporting Wick and local community activity, together with a financial contribution towards the Lyminster bypass.

Developers are claiming widespread support for the proposal, following extensive public consultation and a series of meetings with local groups and organisations. Of those taking part in a consultation exhibition or commenting online, 88 per cent said they welcomed the development of a new store and 90 per cent were in favour of the Enterprise Hub.

Duncan Trench, of Development Securities, said: “We’ve been really encouraged by the strong level of support the proposal has attracted. Local people welcome a supermarket on this site and, when taken alongside the Enterprise Hub, the investment and new jobs it brings to Wick.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the local community as the planning process moves forward.”

For Morrisons, Mark Chappell said: “This is a fantastic site to build a supermarket. We’ve been looking for a site in the area for some time and this fits the bill perfectly. We look forward to bringing our high quality shopping experience to the local community and creating jobs and training opportunities for local people.”

The planning application has landed on the desk of Arun’s planning officers just weeks after proposals for 600 homes and business development on the nearby Courtwick site were approved in spite of bitter opposition from residents.

Among their concerns were the impact on the road network of the new homes and businesses, and the Morrisons/Enterprise Hub scheme is likely to come under scrutiny for similar reasons, although the developers argue that when the site was in use by The Body Shop, that generated significant levels of traffic.

There will be questions, too, about the new supermarket’s impact on nearby shops in Wick Parade and the surrounding area.

Following the opening of the new Waitrose supermarket in the former Somerfield premises in the town centre last month, Morrisons’ bid to open up on the outskirts is being seen as more evidence of Littlehampton’s resilient economy at a time of national stringency.

What do you think? Will the 500 jobs offered by the Morrison supermarket and enterprise hub scheme outweigh concerns over traffic congestion and the impact on local traders? Cast your vote in the panel to the right of the screen, and leave your comments below.