Fears lack of local plan sees developers '˜jump on bandwagon'

Frustrated residents have expressed their belief suspension of the local plan is a '˜green light' to developers.
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South Bersted’s Alan Benson contacted the Observer after a planning application for another 50 homes was submitted. The news follows a 90 houses plan off New Barn Lane.

In response an Arun District Council spokesman said it ‘is in the process of updating its draft local plan’ and without it ‘planning proposals are considered against the requirements of up to date local and national policy, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies’. They added the new draft was originally submitted to the government in January 2015 but the planning inspector required the council to ‘review its evidence to address various issues’ and ‘modify the plan to accommodate a higher housing requirement’.

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Public consultation will be held on the modifications before it is resubmitted to the planning inspectorate, ‘anticipated early next year’.

Meanwhile, in Pagham, Parish councillor Ray Radmall called plans for 40 dwellings, on land accessed via Summer Lane and Pagham Road, ‘the least worst decision’ but a ‘sad time’.

Directing blame towards the government – which had ‘changed the goalposts’ on housing allocation – he said ‘Pagham must play its part’ but estimated the parish total at ‘3,000 additional homes’.