Land sale agreed so Littlehampton rubbish tip can be expanded

The decision was made by Jeremy Hunt, cabinet member for finance and property, and will come into force on January 17, unless called in for further discussion.

The council has not said how much it will pay for the 0.2 hectare site but it is expected to be more than £500,000.

The land, in Mill Lane, north of Toddington Lane, is owned by developer Persimmon Homes.

The council entered into a Land Agreement with previous owners Greencore which gave the authority until March this year to buy the land at Residential Market Value.

A report from Steve Read, assistant director (Environment & Public Protection) said outline planning permission given to Persimmon Homes to build in the area showed the land as ‘recycling area extension’.

Mr Read added: “The site at Littlehampton is extremely well used by residents and, due to its small size, can suffer from queuing at peak times.

“Arun District Council’s Local Plan requires 20,000 dwellings to be constructed during the plan period of 2011-2031, which will put additional pressure on all sites in the Arun area – Littlehampton being one of these.”

A council spokesman added: “Acquisition of the land could allow the recycling centre to be extended and reconfigured in order to provide a more efficient service by providing additional capacity to the current and future residents of the area.”

The centre is open five days a week but closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Booking is required before visiting. See www.westsussex.gov.uk/land-waste-and-housing/waste-and-recycling/recycling-and-waste-prevention/