Thumbs up for flats at former Waitrose Littlehampton site

The empty shop and its car park, in Avon Road, Littlehampton, will be demolished to make way for a part two, part three-storey development of three buildings, which will include space for commercial use.

The site has stood empty since Waitrose moved to Rustington in 2015.

A previous application for 83 flats and some retail space was refused in 2019, with a planning inspector upholding the decision after applicant Ropemaker Properties took the council to an appeal.

At a meeting of the development control committee on Wednesday (December 2), members were impressed with the knapped flint and red brick look of the buildings – but less so with the 19 parking spaces provided.

Martin Lury (Lib Dem, Bersted) said: “The end of Waitrose opposite East Street has always been a complete eyesore so I think [this] will be a great improvement.”

While approving of the application, Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston) said the development was something of a ‘missed opportunity’.

He added: “It is part of the Littlehampton Growth area and, being in the centre, there were opportunities here for other commercial and leisure facilities to be provided, which would have done Littlehampton a power of good.”

Mr Bower also had words for developers who use the council’s inability to show a five-year supply of housing land as a reason to justify an application.

He said: “It’s developers themselves who are the people who have given us this problem by not going forward with the planning permissions that they’ve already got.”

The plans were approved unanimously and will be signed off once Ropemaker Properties had signed a legal agreement which would make 11 of the flats affordable homes as well as providing financial contributions to education, library and fire & rescue services.

If the agreement is not signed within three months, the application could be refused.