Construction of controversial 'Great Wall of Littlehampton' underway
Local residents have been sharing pictures of the fence going up, despite the promise of an 'independent review' by Arun District Council
Arun District Council has come under fire from residents in Littlehampton, after a 3.5 metre high steel fence was constructed off the back of local properties, despite the promise of an independent review.
Dubbed 'The Great Wall of Littlehampton', the fence has been built to lower noise levels coming from the Fitzalan Link Road, being built by developer Persimmon, which will join up with the new Lyminster bypass.
"There were three yellow notices on lamp posts to tell residents of this monumental change, just three"
Residents claim the plans were originally to build a 2.5 metre timber fence, something they agreed to. But the plans were changed and although the review was promised following backlash from residents on Highdown Drive and Amberley Close, construction on the fence is already well underway.
Tracy Lynch, who lives on one of the affected roads and started the 'Great Wall of Littlehampton' Facebook page, said: "The road (Fitzalan Link Road) has been planned for a long long time. Nobody is bothered about the road, everybody knew the road was going in, that's absolutely fine. In the original plans, it was planned during a consultation that there would be a two-metre, wooden fence that would go up behind people's gardens...somehow over the course of the years in 2016/17, it was changed.
"Two-metres is nothing. If you've got your own fence there you put a little bit of trellising around it and grow a bit of greenery in the trellis you'd never have seen it and even if you did, it's wooden, it's not aesthetically offensive to have a wooden fence there".
"Highdown drive is about half a mile long, so it's a very long road. There were three yellow notices on lamp posts to tell residents of this monumental change, just three...on this little yellow notice it didn't say what the change was it just said 'reserved matters'".
In a statement, an Arun District Council spokesperson said: "The fence is being built in accordance with approved planning permission and is intended to keep any noise generated by traffic using the new road to within acceptable limits.
“We appreciate the concerns of residents and have commissioned an independent report to look at all options and will consider the findings of that report as soon as we have them.
A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes Thames Valley said: “The works being carried out on the Fitzalan Link Road are being delivered in accordance with the specifications and timetable approved by Arun District Council".