800 New Houses at West Durrington

Our Current Thinking - August 2003
West Durrington Briefing Document July 2003
Durrington Inspectors Report
Tit Nore in the Sussex Shire
Durrington Questions Outstanding
Major Flaws in Durrington homes plan
West Durrington Objection Letter
Our Objections to the West Durrington Development
ARGUS article 10 October
ARGUS article 16 October
MAP OF DURRINGTON
AERIAL PHOTO

Other websites about this area
http://www.cnp.org.uk/south_downs_campaign.htm - South Downs Campaigne
http://www.countryside.gov.uk/proposednationalparks/southdowns.htm - Countryside Agency
http://www.protectourwoodland.fsnet.co.uk/ - Protect Our Woods
http://www.greenissues.com/westdurrington/ - The development consortium

Comments invited on West Durrington
Several hundred people attended the exhibition on housing held at the West Durrington Community Centre. At times it was very crowded indeed. The brief details put forward are on the developers' website http://www.greenissues.com/westdurrington/
At the planning inquiry last year the inspector was very keen that development should be kept away from Titnore Lane. We agree with the inspector and the local feeling here remains as it was:

• there should be no traffic calming or road widening of Titnore Lane,
• no roundabout or access to the development on Titnore Lane,
• all new housing should concentrated to the east of the site rather than the south and west, keeping away from Titnore Lane.
• the new development should be part of Durrington and make a contribution to the amenities of Durrington.

We are against building at West Durrington. Any development will encroach on the Goring Gap. The infrastructure, particularly the road system, is insufficient to maintain more properties or businesses. The site assigned for business near the A27 intersection is particularly sensitive.
But for better or worse, WBC have now published a development brief for the builders: 109 hectares for 800 houses, 3.7 hectares for business. There will be some shops, education and community care, not necessarily in Durrington.

Background
The Government via the SE Region office at Guildford has decided that there shall be a lot of new houses in the South East. Exact numbers seem to vary depending who you ask. This has been parcelled out to the Districts and Boroughs. Worthing has tried to meet their requirement in brown-field sites in the town and has had some success here. But the rest of the allocation have to to go someplace, and the place they have chosen is on the green fields at West Durrington.

WBC Planning Policy Manager Clare Mangan said on BBC Southern Counties Radio on Monday 13 August that:

• this area is not in the Goring/Ferring strategic gap
• the ancient woodlands and site of Nature Conservation Importance at Titnore Woods will not be destroyed
• there will be shops, education and community care (though quite where these will be seems to be uncertain)

• Worthing Society
• Goring Residents' Association
• Ilex Conservation Group
• Ferring Conservation Society
• the local branch of the National Trust
• Ferring Parish Council

This area up to the A259 main road will be vigorously defended.

The area north of the A259 includes Highdown which is National Trust, and the fields and woods up through Patching and Clapham which support the concept, if not the letter, of the strategic gap. We have submitted a proposal that all the area north of the A259 should be included within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park.

We object to the 800 houses
Our objections to the proposed building of houses at West Durrington, and the associated areas for business development are in four stages:

1. The Need is Doubtful
   The latest projections show a fall in the requiremnt for new houses, well below the stated figures. We doubt that the targets laid down by the Goverment are still valid.

2. Not in Our Back Yard
   The area was part of the estate of Castle Goring, a listed building of great architectural curiosity. The Gothic north side is apparently inspired by Arundel Castle. The Palladian south front is modelled on a large Roman villa. The building is now a language school for foreign students. The park has one of the finest stands of English Oaks in the area. Any encroachment on the views of this important local building would be most unfortunate.
   Any housing here would erode the views from Highdown, and from the downs
   Even if the park and Titnore Woods are not used for building, someone has to be responsible for maintaining this area, and it is not at all clear who this person will be

3. Perhaps a smaller development
   The result of the Public Enquiry into the Worthing Strategic Plan held at the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001 is expected be published in November. A strong case was made to the Inspector that if WBC were indeed determined to erode our heritage then perhaps a smaller development of perhaps 200 houses right at the East side of the area would be more appropriate.
   There is also continuing concern that the houses could be more expensive than local people can afford, or if a proportion are low-cost social housing, would these be an added drain on the WBC rates.
   In any case there will need to be a very substantial investment in roads, and in drainage, and also in surface water run-off to protect surrounding areas from flooding.

4. If all else fails
   We need to make sure that any new development is an asset to the area. We need to make sure that there is input to the planning process by real local people, not just faceless planners in a far-away office.
   We are concerned that the promised amenities, schools, leisure facilities, medical centres should be convenient to the whole of Durrington; an area sadly deprived of all these things, and as a result is a centre for vandalism and graffiti.

    
   

   The Debate will continue. We await the results of the Public Enquiry, and also any future consultation documents that are issued in the planning process.