New bid to build 18 flats

Leasehold Management Ltd wants to site the proposed accommodation on the car park of the existing 30 flats at Elm Dale on Elm Grove South.

The company has submitted an outline application for the 15 two-bed and three one-bed flats for a decision by Arun District Council.

It follows the firm's withdrawal of its previous application earlier this month before the council's development control committee was about to consider that scheme.

Dozens of objections to those proposals were received by the council. The protestors claimed that the site was already developed to its maximum capacity and that the road was congested.

That was the seventh application in all for the site since the existing flats were approved in 1975.

Leasehold Management's planning agent, Michael Gray, of South Eastern Planning Services Ltd, said: 'The three-storey block of flats here proposed would represent a form of development in character with the residential development in the immediate locality. The size of block proposed would have a similar scale and massing to both blocks A and B that exist on the site.'

No undue overlooking would exist between the three blocks of flats which would be well-spaced between each other, he states.

Mr Gray comments that the loss of the car park will be compensated for by the creation of an extra 25 parking spaces on the site. Together with the retention of the existing garages, that will mean 60 parking spaces available to serve the total of 48 flats if the new scheme is approved.

A survey carried out last August by expert AM Hutson received the presence of bats on the site. He said those seen were common pipistrelles who were commuting through the area. Building the flats would involve cutting down at least ten trees as well as two low leylandii hedges and shrubs.

But the effects of this work could be overcome by new planting to ensure that the development did not affect the long-term survival of the bats.