Felpham's 'unattractive' development put on hold

They also wanted more facts about seven sets of details of the biggest housing scheme in the area for probably 30 years.

The deferral by Arun District Council's development control committee was greeted with anger by the companies' representative. Ten officials from the two firms were present at the meeting and had to sit in silence as their proposals were severely criticised.

The detailed approval now has to wait until another meeting of the committee. Its date is yet to be fixed, though it is likely to be May.

The latest decision in a saga which is about to reach its ninth anniversary does not alter the fact that the development of 700 homes in all will happen.

That has been agreed in principle by the government and the council. It does, though, represent a significant setback for the developers.

Howard Cheadle, Arun's head of planning services, said: 'It's appreciated that this is a multi million pound development which the applicants want to get started.

'But it also has to be appreciated that there was a lot of public opposition to this scheme in the initial phase.

'The council made a commitment that the scheme which came forward would be a high quality scheme that could be '˜sold' to the community.'

Cllr Jacqueline Maconachie (Aldwick West) said: 'We want a high quality development which is going to serve the district for the generations for which it is going to be there.'

Cllr Ricky Bower (East Preston) said of one particular three-storey building among the proposals: 'I do not feel the design is of a sufficiently high quality to qualify as being a prominent building at this particular part of the plan. This needs to be more attractive.'

Committee chairman Cllr Jean Goad (Barnham) stated: 'If this is meant to be a landmark building...I think it is very drab and ugly. There are two ways of being a landmark building and this is the wrong way."

Graham Beck, speaking for Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, urged the committee to make a decision. He said approval for the housing was needed to enable the developers to start building the Bognor relief road which the development was funding.

A tight timetable was in place to enable the work to go ahead where it meets the existing A259 and goes over the railway line.

'This decision is so important. We have been dealing with this scheme for nine months.

'I am not happy with the committee and I know Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are not happy,' he said.

'We have been working so closely with the district, county and parish councils and with such co-operation. There is a huge amount of information available about the scheme.'

Arun planning officer Stephen Cantwell said large question marks remained about the amount of open space which would be provided and when it would be available.

There was also a doubt about the amount of proposed parking and how the land would be drained.

Additional matters such as the types of materials to be used, whether homeowners would be allowed to build extensions and conservatories and how the bus gate to Westmorland Drive would work needed to be considered as well.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes proposed a mixture of two, two-and-a-half and three storey houses and three storey blocks of flats. Two shops will be provided. Strong interest is said to have been expressed by potential retailers.

n Plans for the next phase of 121 dwellings on the Felpham site have been submitted to Arun by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes.