Widow fears for her house after demolition plan

Rosemary Brown could see the neighbouring property of her semi-detached home pulled down to create an access to a new estate.

The building of the ten terraced dwellings depends on their entrance and exit going where the other half of Mrs Brown's three-bedroom property stands in Bucksham Avenue.

She has lived in number 15 in the road for the past 50 years. She said the current situation was stressful.

"I can't see how you can slice a building in half without doing some damage to what remains," she said, adding, "No one has spoken to me about it."

The planning application for the ten new houses was due to be decided by Arun District Council's development control committee last week. But committee members agreed they needed more information about the traffic generated by the new housing.

They deferred the application, which had attracted 13 letters of objection, until a future meeting. The councillors called for a West Sussex County Council highways officer to be present.

Fears were expressed that the emergency services, as well as refuse vehicles, would find it difficult to reach the proposed housing.

Cllr Stephen Haymes (Yapton), who chaired a pre-meeting site inspection visit, said: "Bucksham Avenue is a very narrow road and parking is bad down there.

"The main concern of members was what would happen to the party wall of number 15 with the demolition of no 17."

Cllr Simon McDougall (Bersted) stated: "The area where these new houses will be built on is the last piece of land between Bucksham Avenue and site six. To build on it is the final insult to residents in that area."

Arun planning officer Jonathan Parsons had recommended the housing application by Phoenix Homes Ltd should be approved by councillors.

But he said a condition should be imposed on the developer that the remediation works to the party wall and roof of Mrs Brown's house after the demolition of no 17 had to be agreed with the council before any building could start.

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