Yapton residents say resounding 'no' to Ford homes

Some 100 people took the chance to find out more about the housing options for the Arun district up to 2026.

One of the proposals put forward for Arun District Council is for 5,000 homes around Ford Airfield.

Those exhibition visitors who spoke to the Observer were adamantly against a new town on their doorstep.

Susan Sargeant, of Mill Lane, Walberton, said: "We want the district council's preferred option of sustainable urban developments around Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

"That's where the people are who need the housing, that's where the jobs are and that's where the infrastructure is.

"We certainly don't want greenfield sites to be built on and lose agricultural land.

"I'm all for low cost housing in small numbers in our communities but no one wants to be swamped with 5,000 houses which would destroy existing communities."

Yapton residents David and Jill Wellman, of Park Drive, were also firmly opposed to a new town at Ford.

Mr Wellman said: "We don't like that idea at all. The roads around here are already congested, including the little roads through the village.

"There should be room on Ford for a small number of housing. We wouldn't disagree with that but not on the scale of an entire town there."

Victor Docwra, of Beagle Drive, Ford, commented: "I don't like the idea of a new town at Ford at all.

"The amount of greenfield land they want to take away for that is stupid.

"There are no facilities there, the roads aren't good enough and the level crossing goes down as soon as a train leaves Littlehampton."

Arun's public consultation roadshow was at Yapton Village Hall between 7.30am and 3pm on Monday. Ninety people had gone along with an hour left to go.

Tracey Flitcroft, one of the council's planning officers at the roadshow, said: "There has been a lot of considered discussion. Ford has not been a popular option.

"But people are still looking at the other possible sites and looking at how new homes could affect people there.

"There have been a lot of worries about the amount of traffic on the A27 at Chichester and Arundel and how new homes would affect that."

The mobile roadshow will next be in the Six Villages on March 17 at Aldingbourne Sports and Social Centre in Olivers Meadow.

It will be based at Eastergate Village Hall the next day and at Barnham railway station car park on March 23. Opening times will be 7.30am until 3pm each day.

Arun has stated it wants to use farmland north of Chalcraft Lane, North Bersted '“ with 2,500 properties '“ and Littlehampton and Angmering for much of its new housing.

But it has also put forward the choice of 5,000 homes at Ford or 2,500 around Eastergate, Barnham and Westergate, as well as other locations, for the public to consider until April 2.

Councillors will look at the responses and decide this summer. Their decision will be assessed by an independent inspector who will issue a binding verdict.

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