Local Plan Review: Preferred Approach 2016-2035

Please find below the comments from East Wittering and Bracklesham Parish Council to the Local Plan Review consultation.The council submitted an extensive response to the Local Plan consultation in 2014 (appendix 1, attached), expressing our concerns in a number of critical areas;

* Traffic impacts on the local road network
* Lack of capacity at the A27 Stockbridge Road junction
* Air quality impacts for Donnington residents
* Impact on the rural nature of the area
* Damage to the unique character of the village, which would adversely impact the tourism sector
* Lack of capacity in local primary schools
* Lack of secondary school and further education facilities
* Limited capacity within the sewerage and foul water network

We still feel that all of these objections remain valid and unaddressed. With the recent announcement that improvements to the A27 have been scrapped for the foreseeable future, we feel that they are even more pertinent.

In addition, we have significant concerns about the minimum indicative housing numbers allocated against our Parish. According to the 2011 census, there were 2,255 households in East Wittering & Bracklesham. Since that time, we have already seen a number of new developments completed, adding over 200 new properties to the village. An additional 350 homes will mean that we have experienced population growth of over 25% within a time period of less than 10-15 years. Such a large influx of people without corresponding infrastructure improvements and dedicated community development support risks the fundamental character, nature and cohesion of the community.

We also question the methodology used when assessing sustainable locations for strategic development. East Wittering & Bracklesham is designated as a settlement hub, largely for historic reasons that no longer apply. We no longer have any banks (having previously had four), all of our major local employers (including Richardsons Holiday Park and Credowan Engineering) have closed and there are now no significant local employers within the Parish. We have one medical centre, which is shared with West Wittering residents, and one primary school, as do the neighbouring villages of West Wittering and Birdham. The village centre incorporates the Parish boundary with West Wittering, splitting retail businesses across the two parishes. We contend that we are now no more than a large service village, with no greater or lesser advantages than other adjacent villages within the area.

We think that on this basis, the presumption that East Wittering and Bracklesham is the most sustainable location on the South-West Manhood is unsound. There are potential viable developments sites within the Southern Manhood that should be considered ahead of greenfield development within East Wittering & Bracklesham. The site of the former Earnley Concourse has been falling into ever greater dereliction and disrepair for several years and provides a viable brownfield development site, which could contribute significant housing numbers within the local area. There are also numerous green fields to the West of Church Road in West Wittering which have currently not been included within the HELAA, which could be suitable for additional development.

Whilst we appreciate that the District Council have to find space for new housing within very constrained circumstances, we do not support the current approach, which will see large-scale development fundamentally changing the nature and character of our community, when there is scope to mitigate the impact by more equally sharing the load across all communities. If there was a sustained focus on incorporating affordable, secure-tenure rental property within a wider range of developments it would provide the added benefit of increasing the vitality and sustainability all villages on the Manhood by supplying essential housing for local residents and young people who are increasingly forced out of their communities by a lack of affordable housing.