'˜Disaster' or '˜needed homes'? Bosham plans polarise opinion

The proposals include a mix of one to four bed homes for land off Main Road in Broadbridge, in between Delling Lane and Walton Lane.

At the consultation in The Bosham Centre, resident Patricia Ingham expressed concerns over the village’s infrastructure if the homes go ahead.

She said: “Do we really need more five bed houses?

“Smaller houses which more people can access is what this village needs.”

Mrs Ingham added: “It is also worrying about the impact on the school and the doctors surgery, they are both quite small.

“I appreciate they have to be build somewhere, though.”

A Bosham resident, who asked not to be named, agreed: “Bosham doesn’t need 50 more homes, but they have to be built somewhere.”

“Having affordable homes has to be a positive – although I don’t know if you could call a five bed home ‘affordable’.

Other residents had stronger objections to the proposals.

Barry Colgate, of The Drive, Bosham, said: “I think this plan would be a disaster for Bosham.

“The inspector turned down the neighbourhood plan when it was proposed to build on this land.

“If this plan goes through it would make Bosham open territory for all developers.”

Nevertheless, other residents reacted positively to the plans, stating that more homes would benefit the village.

One resident said: “I am behind this plan because we need the extra houses, and the land is already a part of the village rather than extending our village further along into Fishbourne.”

The plans include 30 per cent affordable homes, and developer CALA Homes adds that the new homes aims to meet the local housing need.

Claire Smith, planning coordinator for CALA Homes South Home Counties, said: “Bosham has been identified as a sustainable location for new housing development in the Chichester Local Plan and will play a role in generating the new homes needed within the district.”