(Note: Since this article was published, there has been a change of Government.
The present Conservative Government is currently [ Feb 2011 ] passing legislation
to dismantle the previous Government's regional housing plans and in future make
local communities more responsible for determining their own housing needs.
However, this article is being retained for readers' information for the time being.)
Following the Government’s announcement that Arun must provide 11,500 new homes from 2006 until 2026, Arun District Council (ADC) has been tasked with identifying possible sites to accommodate them. Around 5,500 homes have already been approved or allocated in the District since 2006, leaving around 6,000 left to be located.
ADC has identified three fundamentally different options for development which they presented to the public in a document entitled "Arun Core Strategy - Options for Growth - Consultation 12 February - 2 April 2009" which is a document within ADC's Local Development Framework which itself forms part of the present Labour Government's "South East Plan".
Three option were presented to the public, two of which contained major expansion in the parish of Angmering:
Option 1
Significant additional Housing in Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and Angmering plus use of small scale geenfield sites.
The Angmering proposal is for 500 new homes on its east side.Option 2
5000 new homes on the at Ford (the eco-town) plus use of small scale geenfield sites.Option 3
Significant additional housing at Barnham, Eastergate, Westergate, Littlehampton (Toddington) and Angmering, plus use of small scale geenfield sites.
The Angmering proposal is for potential development sites between the village and the A280 bypass, and also in the Roundstone area to the south of the village It is envisaged that development could involve a number of separate sites with a potential to provide 1,500 homes.
ADC has said that alternative options and variations on the three they are proposing would also be considered and anyone who has other ideas was encouraged to put them forward during the consultation period (now expired). There is a programme for the developlent of Arun's strategy and it is intended that the final policy document will be adopted in August 2010.
You can view the options in detail by clicking here [PDF file - 4.02mb] to see ADC's "Core Strategy - Options for Growth - Consultation 12 February - 2 April 2009" (full document)
Many people in Angmering believe that ADC's "Options for Growth" is flawed and made represesentations to ADC prior to their deadline of 2 April 2009. Both Angmering Parish Council and The Angmering Society had major concerns over the proposals and their letters to ADC can be accessed by clicking on the following links:
Angmering Parish Council letter to ADC dated 1 April 2009 [PDF file - 27kb]
The Angmering Society letter to ADC dated 2 April 2009 [PDF file - 1.4mb]
Notwithstanding the above, David Cameron has pledged that a Conservative Government will abolish regional planning - including the South East Plan, returning housing and planning powers to local communities.