Ferring ASDA plans put on hold by council

THE controversial plans for a new superstore in Ferring have been put on hold.

At the Arun District Council development control committee meeting, councillors discussed the handful of alterations to the proposed development put forward by supermarket giant ASDA.

ASDA requested the permission for minor alterations to the elevations of the building, including the lobby, energy centre and plant. The supermarket has also requested to alter the car park layout, the landscaping and the choice of surface materials.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The store is set to open in November of this year, on the old Country Fayre site, and will create jobs for 540 people.

However, the development’s progress has been put on hold after councillors voted to defer making a decision on the application, and requested more information from ASDA regarding its landscaping, surface water drainage, noise assessment, lighting plans and operating hours.

It is anticipated the application will be back before the May committee for a decision.

Members of Ferring Parish Council and Ferring Conservation Group are also still unhappy about some of the terms of the development.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ed Miller, secretary of the conservation group, said ASDA had not commented further following an Arun District Council meeting last month at which some of the firm’s senior representatives were in attendance. Residents had raised concerns about plans for a set of traffic lights on the A259 and a dual carriageway crossover, and believed store bosses would come back to them on the matter, but have yet to hear anything.

They are also concerned at the length of the proposed opening hours – 6am to midnight – and other minor changes to planning conditions.

ASDA spokesman Oliver Jones said: “We are working hard with Arun District Council to resolve any issues which have arisen. We are now just dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s’ – and this pause will not delay any construction work.”