Homes Not Factories

A Government inspector has recommended that at least 100 homes should be built on 7.7 acres of land at the western end of the former Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), which was originally earmarked for commercial use.

His suggestion is one of the main findings affecting the Littlehampton area in his report on the lengthy inquiry into Arun's draft local plan, the 10-year blueprint ruling where new housing and business developments should go ahead, and fixing a wide range of planning policies.

Although the recommendation for housing at the former HRI site would result in the loss of the business park, inquiry inspector Alan Foster says this would be compensated for by changing the proposed use of housing land at Toddington, next to The Body Shop, to commercial development.

As reported in the Gazette two weeks ago, Mr Foster said this site, which Arun allocated for 180 houses, would be more suitable for businesses because it was separated from Littlehampton by the busy A259 road.

Littlehampton Town Council has welcomed Mr Foster's move on the Toddington housing site.

Town councillor Rosemary Orpin, chairman of the planning and transportation sub-committee, said the new housing would have led to "significant inadequacies in the provision of health, education and police services".

Mr Foster gives two main reasons in his report for ruling out commercial development on the HRI land. The first is the lack of interest in the site shown by businesses, in spite of marketing by developers Hargreaves.

Secondly, he says, its use would be limited to light industry, because planning permission has been granted for housing on two sides of the site.

Arun has said it will abide by all the inspector's recommendations in his 300-plus page report.

See next week's Gazette for more details of the local plan report.