Flats next to Worthing primary school are deferred again

The decision was deferred from Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee in August.

The plans were then deferred again last month as a notice published in the Worthing Herald to find the owner did not expire until September 30.

Four one-bed flats and two two-bed flats are proposed for Norfolk Street.

They would face a central courtyard as part of a ‘car-free scheme’.

Although cycle parking is provided, the highways authority said that at least six car parking spaces should have been included.

Residents expressed concerns over increased use of the access which runs alongside their properties.

This is the third time plans have been deferred and council officers said the access ‘does not appear to be legally registered to anyone’.

Residents dispute this and ECE Planning did not ‘take the opportunity to contact the residents’ to discuss the issues before the last meeting – a decision it said it ‘regretted’. 

The developer approached residents in advance of Wednesday’s planning meeting but the two parties have not had the opportunity to meet.

Councillor Louise Murphy (Con, Offington) suggested that the plans be sent away again to give ‘one last chance’ of a resolution.

She said: “The impression I’m getting is that there is very much an appetite from the applicant, developers, and local residents to engage positively to find the right solution for this site.

“I’d like to propose we defer this to give applicants and residents time to meet to agree improvements.”

Ms Murphy said that bringing the plans back to the next meeting could put ‘time pressure’ on all parties to have a discussion.

Officers said that schemes such as this one are going to be ‘increasingly common’ as the council and central government are looking to develop existing brownfield sites which are often ‘complex’ with ‘constrained access’.

Several members of the Cobden Road and Norfolk Street Residents Group had their say during Wednesday’s meeting.

One said: “The day after we were informed this application would be considered at this meeting, we were contacted to meet with the applicant – but we haven’t been able to meet due to limited time.”

He expressed concerns over access, losing an area used for bin storage by existing residents and sewage potentially emptying into a cesspit which he claims has ‘never been emptied’ and ‘could be overflowing’.

“Cobden Road is historical, Victoria Park is historical, Amelia Park is beautiful; this proposed development is a total eyesore in the middle of it,” he said.