Issue - meetings

This report seeks the Committee’s agreement that the proposed Littlehampton Economic Growth Area (LEGA) Study update should exclude work on the West Bank Strategic Allocation elements of the Study and focus the study brief on the riverside opportunities and the area between Climping beach and the West Bank. The study would, therefore, aim to complement what might happen on the West Bank through the existing LEGA study and Strategic Allocation in the adopted Arun Local Plan 2018.

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Planning Policy Team Leader presented the report which sought the Committee’s agreement that the proposed Littlehampton Economic Growth Area (LEGA) Study update should exclude work on the West Bank Strategic Allocation elements of the Study and focus the study brief on the riverside opportunities and the area between Climping beach and the West Bank. The study would therefore aim to complement what might happen on the West Bank through the existing LEGA study and Strategic Allocation in the adopted Arun Local Plan 2018. The Group Head of Planning noted that there was developer interest in the West Bank site and therefore it would not be prudent to use public money to produce work to generate such interest as per the original decision at Committee in June 2021, and instead direct the available funds to other specific areas identified in the report.

The Chair having invited discussion, Members that spoke sought greater clarity on the area that this study would include and why this area rather than others had been identified for this work, and though the Planning Policy Team Leader did explain that part of the study would be to define the area more definitively and that no new sites could be allocated outside of the development plan process, the Chair proposed a deferral which was seconded by the Vice-Chair in order to seek further clarification on the extent of the area (to include a map) and why this area had been identified as opposed to others.

The Committee

RESOLVED

That the item be deferred to the Special meeting on 7 December 2022 in order for Officers to provide further clarification on the extent of the area (including in a map format) and why this area had been identified as opposed to others.