Plans for 155 Aldingbourne homes deferred

Recommendations from council officers to the planning committee, at a meeting on September 6, were to approve the plans, subject to agreed mitigation costs paid by the developer to the council through a section 106 agreement.

But members were ‘uncomfortable’ having no affordable housing contribution secured before approval, and deferred the application until the agreement was completed.

The homes would have shared access off Lidsey Road, Aldingbourne, with a development approved in 2021 for 95 homes, which feeds into the A27.

Simon McDougall (Lab, Pevensey ward) said contributions in the 106 for West Sussex County Council to bus Arun students to schools in other parts of the county, instead of building a new secondary school in the district, was ‘totally unacceptable’.

He said: “To be quite honest, I am livid with the county council asking for money to be given outside of the district, three sites have been offered to the county council [for a new school] – get on with it and get it done.”

The existing agreement would see contributions towards transport costs for secondary school students, to ease WSCC education’s objections to the plans based on the lack of secondary school capacity, as well as towards A27 improvement and maintenance.

Aldingbourne Parish Council and two residents objected to the plans stating it was outside the built up area boundary, placing the development in the countryside, and it would ruin the area character.

Arun officers said a housing shortfall and the existing development near the site were still cause for approval.