Councillors to decide on A259 showroom plans

Store Property Investments is behind the outline plans for the new premises for BMW and Mini dealer Chandlers and a full planning application for the two separate retail units, with up to 37,000 sq ft of retail floorspace.

The 42,000 sq ft site for Chandlers would include a workshop, an MoT facility, car valeting and car storage on land south of the A259 and west of Mill Lane. It would enable Chandlers to consolidate its four existing BMW and Mini sites at Angmering and Rustington into one, in the process.

The development control committee of Arun District Council was due to consider the combined ‘hybrid’ planning application yesterday afternoon as the Gazette went to press, with officers recommending members to approved the scheme conditionally.

In their report to the committee, officers pointed to the fact the area was prone to flooding and was rural, and the likely impact the retail units would have on trade in neighbouring areas.

Store Property Investments says surface water would be disposed of using permeable paving and tanked systems discharging to a water course. One of the conditions of planning approval is that full details of this drainage scheme needed to be approved by the local planning authority before work can begin.

Another area the planning officers considered in their report was the effect the two retail units could have on trade in Littlehampton and Rustington. They conclude the units would have an impact on surrounding areas, particularly because of the ‘cumulative impact’ of Morrisons and Sainsbury’s opening recently in Wick and Rustington respectively.

However, to mitigate this, Store Property Investments, which owns the nearby Rustington Retail Park and much of the village shopping centre, has agreed to pay Rustington Parish Council contributions to protect the centre, including the cost of improved signage and £20,000 to fund a consultant report on how to boost trade, as well as paying £20,000 per

For the full report, read the Littlehampton Gazette, out on Thursday, March 13.