Mixed reaction to new flats in Wick

This afternoon (Thursday, June 5), Arun district councillors will be debating whether to give the green light for a scheme to construct four one-bedroom flats in Westway – plans which are recommended for approval.

Kimberley Rollason, of Stop Council House Building in Wick (SCHBW), welcomed the plans.

She felt that scheme would bring much-needed housing into the Wick estate.

Mrs Rollason said: “The patch of land the developers are planning to build on is essentially a wasteland –there’s nothing on it.”

Mrs Rollason has been fighting a campaign against Arun building some 23 council homes in the Wick estate.

She and her fellow campaigners argue those plans would lead to an urbanisation of Wick.

However, she added: “These new flats in Westway are totally different to the plans for new council houses.

“The (Westway) plans will actually be really beneficially to the residents in Wick who are really looking for flats.

“I think it would be different if this was two large houses, but four flats, to me, is fine.”

The scheme is due to be debated during Arun’s development control committee meeting, at the Civic Centre, in Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, from 2.30pm.

The flats will have the appearance of a detached two-storey home and would be built on an area currently used for car parking.

Objections have been already been received by Arun from Littlehampton Town Council.

In its representation, the town council said: “This is already a very densely populated area in a deprived ward and as such it is considered that the proposals constitute an over-development of the site.

“The quality of the design is poor and unimaginative and does not provide satisfactory access to the car park from the front of the properties.”

However, Arun planners considered the site was acceptable and said it would not have any ‘materially adverse effect on the visual amenities of the locality or the residential amenities of the adjoining properties’.

The planning report said: “The distance to the site boundary with property rear gardens in Grand Avenue is 5.5m and this is acceptable to ensure no adverse overbearing effects result.

“No first-floor windows are proposed in this elevation so there would be no loss of privacy resulting.”

It continued, saying: “The proposed parking provision of five spaces is considered to be within West Sussex County Council maximum car parking standards and the site is sustainably located.”

County highways ‘had no objection’ to car parking in this location.