Plans to build 50 new homes in Selsey are the most serious threat to the Manhood Peninsula there has ever been, a local campaign group has warned.
Plans have been put forward to build the homes, access and 102 car parking spaces at Park Farm off Park Lane.
The outline planning permission put forward by Landlink Estates is for seven two-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom market housing. This is in addition to nine two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom social rented housing.
However Richard Bramall, chairman of Campaigners Against Over-Development In Selsey, said: “This is not about trying to stop 50 houses from being built.
“This is about the most serious threat to the peninsula there has been in the sense planning permission could only possibly go through if good-quality planning legislations are ignored.
“This concerns green belts and strategic planning gaps.
“If planning permission is given to build 50 houses, it is breaching the SPA and then there will be no reason for farmers not to sell land adjacent to that land. Witterings wouldn’t be safe from massive developments, neither would Sidlesham or Selsey.”
Selsey town and district councillor Roland O’Brien said there needed to be a balance between new developments and the infrastructure that is needed in the town.
“I am not against new houses, but we have to have the facilities and we have to try to sort out the roads,” he said.
“What really bugs me is only a tiny proportion of the land value goes to the community.
“Section 106 money is a miserable proportion of the profit gained from these sites.”
The plans also include a community garden with orchard, play areas, open green space, dog-walking route and a wildlife area.
A public exhibition was held on October 25 this year at Selsey Town Hall, which was said to be ‘generally positive’.
The applicant said there was little demand to amend the proposed layout, but some subtle amendments had been made to the submitted plans to improve the relationship to parking and landscaping.
In the plans it states: “Following background research into health and education provision it has been established that 50 new houses would not have a substantial impact on existing infrastructure and services. However, the Section 106 Agreement to be discussed with planning officers will make appropriate contributions to local services and infrastructure where appropriate.”