Housing: Date set for final decision

The date has been set for the debate about which of the three site options Arun District Council prefers to enable it to meet the government's housing target.

This has been finalised at 11,300 new homes required to be built before 2026.

The council has consulted on residents' preferred locations for the major new estates. Around Bognor, the locations are north of Chalcraft Lane, North Bersted; Ford; and Westergate, Barnham and Eastergate.

It is envisaged 2,500 homes could be built at Chalcraft Lane, 5,000 at Ford and 2,500 around the three villages.

Arun's choice must match the policies in the government's south east plan. This appears to prefer sustainable urban extensions for the future housebuilding sites.

But Karl Roberts, the council's senior planning officer, told Arun's local development framework sub-committee this did not mean the North Bersted site was certain to be chosen.

"I agree that option one (Chalcraft Lane) is the one that seems the best fit with that phase. But that does not rule out the other options all together.

"That is something we have to give close consideration too and we will be putting recommendations as officers to you, as members, about the appropriate way forward."

Council head of policy and conservation Karen Dower said: "It is not as black and white as it might seem."

The south east plan supported the extensions to help regenerate the south coast, but it did not forget the inland areas of the region either, she added.

The officers' advice about the preferred option, or combination of options, will be given to the sub- committee's members this autumn.

Their recommendation will be given to all council members on December 9.

The final decision will go out for a six-week consultation at the start of 2010. This will be to see if it passes a 'test of soundness' rather than to attract general comments.

After this, the Planning Inspectorate will be sent the outcome ready for an inspector to host an examination in public in the summer of 2010. The inspector's decision from that will be binding.

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