Planning chief to seek talks over homes site

Mr Roberts said he was keen to talk with the commissioners, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, over their intention to soon submit formal plans for 2,500 homes north of Chalcraft Lane.

Representatives of the commissioners have stated they expect to seek planning permission for the massive scheme in June. The application will also include space for jobs and community facilities.

But this will be several months before Arun District Council decides whether the farmland should be earmarked for development.

There is no restriction on the commissioners, the money-making arm of the Church of England, making an application.

But Mr Roberts, who has recently taken charge of Arun District Council's planning department, said he wanted to discuss the matter with them.

The land off Chalcraft Lane has been identified by the council among three options for major housebuilding up to 2026.

The council is unlikely to decide before November if it should be one of its favoured sites. This decision will then be tested by a government inspector at an examination in public before a final verdict is known.

"I can't stop the Church Commissioners putting in an application. They have the right to do that," said Mr Roberts.

"But I would hope they would reflect on the fact we have gone out to consultation on a series of options and have only just started to analyse the large number of responses we have received.

"I hope to meet the commissioners in due course. One of the things I will be talking to them about is the timing of what they hope to do '“ whether it is the right thing to be doing at this time.

"Is it the right thing to be submitting an application in the summer or would it, perhaps, be better to wait until the council has had an opportunity to evaluate all the responses it has received and come to a view on them?"

Mr Roberts said the council would not be hurried into a decision if the commissioners submitted one this summer.

"We will have to consider it, but we will almost certainly not do that until we have formed our view about the options (for development) we want to pursue.

"We have put forward three options and there could be a fourth one chosen by councillors," he explained.

"I can't see us determining any application like the commissioners' until we have decided which route we want to go down.

"For that scale of application by the commissioners, we would have four months to determine it. That will take us towards the end of 2009 anyway.

"Even if they appeal against non-determination, they will not get a decision until mid-2011."

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