Rustington "Battle of Agincourt" over homes plan

More than 60 residents wrote letters to Arun District Council opposing plans to demolish a house, Agincourt, and a bungalow, Yeomans, in Woodlands Avenue, and replace them with 13 terraced houses.

Rustington Parish Council also lodged a strong objection, and although Arun planning officers recommended the scheme should be approved, a panel of Arun councillors who visited the site has now said it should be refused.

The panel said the design, siting and layout of the new houses, in one block of seven and one of six, would result in the site being over-developed, would have an unneighbourly impact on nearby properties by being "overbearing" and would be out of character with the surrouding area.

Next Wednesday's meeting of Arun's development control committee is now being recommended by the panel to reject the officers' advice, and instead to refuse planning permission.

Arun also turned down proposals for 13 terraced houses, 18 lock-up garages and eight parking spaces on the same site in August last year, on the grounds that trees would be lost, there was insufficient information about the site, neighbours would be overlooked from the new homes and there was not enough open space within the scheme.

Commenting on the latest plans, Arun officers said the proposals would be "a good use of the land". There would be no significant overlooking of neighbouring properties and the most important trees on the site would be retained.

Directly opposite is a two-storey terrace of cottages, "therefore the proposal is in keeping with its surroundings," the officers' report added. There was also sufficient parking provision.

The parish council and neighbours raised concerns about parking, highway dangers and over-development generally in Rustington.