Hundreds in protest overplan for flats

Well over 200 objectors have complained about the latest proposals for the development at Elm Dale.

Leasehold Management Ltd wants to build a block of 12 flats on the car park of the existing 30 flats at the site off Elm Grove South.

The scheme is due to be debated by Arun District Council's development control committee next Thursday.

Members are being recommended by their planning officers to approve the scheme. But 259 objections have been sent to the council to date.

Elm Dale Residents' Association secretary Ruth Flint said: 'The residents of Elm Grove South are greatly concerned about the impact the additional traffic will have on the already congested area with a school next door with more than 800 pupils.

'The building on the present car park will cause more problems in the area, plus additional traffic to add to the mayhem.

'Elm Grove South is a cul-de-sac, with the school entrance on a bend. This issue is made particularly more relevant now that the school have lost free school transport.

'We anticipate that the loss of this facility will mean an increase in traffic at school times of up to 400 vehicles.

'People have told us that they have to time the comings and goings to their homes '“ especially when school traffic is about twice a day, five days a week.

'If this car park is built on, the residents of Elm Dale will lose their green space and the tranquillity of their back gardens, and have their parking spaces cut down.

'In addition, the parents of the school's children will not be able to drop off and pick up their children so easily.'

Added to the highways safety concerns were the sewage problems experienced by many residents which they feared would be worsened by more inhabitants.

The current flat occupiers were also concerned about the loss of trees if the development went ahead. These included the healthy elm trees after which the flats were named. The removal of the mature trees would also cause the loss of wildlife, including bats, from the area.

But Mrs Flint said only three oak trees had been given a tree protection order for six months to add to the impact of the proposed flats.

'There will be a loss of green space - up to half of what exists - and more residents to have to share it with,' she added.

The current plans from Leasehold Management for ten two-bedroom and two one-bedroom flats follow the company's decision to withdraw a previous application for 15 flats before councillors could decide about them.

The report to Arun's development control committee by council planning officer Anita Gardner states: 'A three-storey block of flats in this location would be in keeping with development in the immediate vicinity in terms of scale and massing.

'The new flat block would be orientated to ensure no undue overlooking between blocks would result and retaining adequate spatial separation between.'

A new car park would be created on the site's southern boundary, she added. Much of the existing vegetation would be retained.