Renewed discussions over North Bersted homes scheme

Councillors have agreed that any new developments on farmland needed to meet the latest government housebuilding targets should take the form of sustainable urban extensions.

This means locations such as 125 hectares north of Chalcraft Lane, which emerged last year as a prime site, are to be developed.

A public exhibition about the initial proposals '“ for 1,500 homes as well as commercial space '“ took place in June but any progress of the scheme has been surrounded by confusion over the government's housing targets.

The original intention to see 11,300 homes built in the Arun district by 2016 was increased by a further 2,000 dwellings. This needed a further round of public consultation, which is still on-going.

But Arun's members have agreed to object to the additional 2,000 homes. They said no provision had been made for the necessary services '“ such as education and health '“ to support the new housing or to correct the existing deficiencies in the services.

Discussions about which sites should be put forward to be developed have been started by councillors. Public consultations about the proposals will start next January.

Until those locations have been chosen, councillors agreed to adopt temporary planning policies to boost the potential land supply available for development.

These policies say that favourable consideration will be given to housing schemes on brownfield, or previously developed, sites as well as to schemes which contained a high proportion of multi- bedroom homes.

Those which contain large numbers of affordable housing will also be looked upon favourably.

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