Almost 500 homes refused in West Sussex
Outline plans for 480 homes in Felpham have been refused
Plans to build nearly 500 houses in Felpham have been refused over fears they would "annihilate" the village.
The proposals would have seen the Bognor Golf Club course on Downview Road redeveloped into a housing estate.
The plans were to build a residential estate with apartment blocks and other housing, turning the old clubhouse into a community centre and creating new greenspaces and habitats for wildlife.
Concerns over recent greater-than-expected flooding on the course and overdevelopment of an area outside a built up area boundary, were the main reasons for refusal by Arun District Council.
Other reasons for refusal were the development was also not allocated in the local plan, it would remove the golf course without having somewhere to relocate it, the loss of trees protected by TPOs, and failing to provide any affordable housing.
General manager of Bognor Regis Golf Club, James Maclean, said the club had ‘outgrown’ its current venue at Downview Road and needed space to expand, with over 1,000 members, mostly locals, and 35 employees.
He said: “Both as a business and community amateur sports club, we are working in an increasingly challenging environment – we have no space to provide new facilities and are facing increasing operational costs.
“We lost nearly two and a half months of play in 2023 and associated revenue as the course was unplayable during flood events and heavy rains.
“Relocation comes at a significant financial cost, especially securing suitable land for our new home and then constructing a new course.
“Having looked at various options, the only way for us to make this happen is through the redevelopment of our existing Downview Road site for new homes.”
An application for a new nine and 18 hole golf course, training greens and other facilities off Grevatts Lane in Climping, made by the club to become their new home, was also refused by the planning committee at the same meeting.
"Had enough of development"
Felpham parish councillor Glenn Hewlett said the village has ‘had enough’ of development, and that future residents could struggle to insure their homes due to flood risks, making the development ‘unsellable, unlivable and unviable’.
He said: “The recent extensive flooding of the golf course must be of grave concern, flooding of this nature happens frequently with this year being the worst ever – it demonstrates this land cannot be safely built upon.
“Flooding will increase, be more frequent, more extreme and more widespread.”
Ricky Bower (Con, East Preston) said the plans would ‘annihilate’ Felpham and Bognor Regis through overdevelopment, returning the town to the ‘chaos’ it was in before the A259 relief road was completed in 2016.