Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs MP, has warned that Arun District Council planners are signing a death warrant for the individual communities of Barnham, Eastergate and Westergate following the council’s approval to build 1,250 houses on land between Barnham, Eastergate and Westergate (BEW).
Arun District Council’s strategic allocation for the BEW area has been approved by the Lib Dem and Green led Council, with future plans that will see a more than doubling of the number of houses and the elimination of green gaps between the villages.
The MP said:
“This is the beginning of the end for the individual communities of Barnham, Eastergate and Westergate. It is literally a death warrant. The whole plan is absolutely shocking. This strategic site is not suitable or sustainable as recent flooding and problems with sewerage has proven beyond any doubt.”
“I’m certainly not against sensible development of quality affordable homes for local people but this is not that. 85% of the homes will be expensive properties for outsiders. What we need is sensible generation of towns which already have infrastructure such as railway stations, secondary schools and high streets.”
“I have stated time and time again to the council that I do not support this plan and have called for a moratorium on building followed by the widespread flooding of recent years. We don’t have the roads, the GP’s or the school places for thousands of extra people. With a little bit of vision, we could see sensible redevelopment of coastal towns. Instead, we get this disaster.”
