25-05-2025
Residents slam 'awful' decision to build thousands of homes near small Sussex town
Residents of a small West Sussex village have slammed the decision to build thousands of homes in the area.
On May 8, plans were approved to build up to 2,200 new homes on land west of Bersted, subject to conditions.
The plans also include a three-form entry primary school, spine road, healthcare facilities, a care home, sports pitch, a community hub including a library, a wellness trail and police and fire and rescue provisions.
Since the decision many residents have shared their anger towards the approval.
The planned development in Bersted (Image: Arun District Council) Sian Whiter, 31, lives near Chalcraft Lane – the area where the development is due to be built. She raised concerns about the impact the housing will have on local people.
'There are not enough jobs in Bognor anyway for the people that already live here. Crime's going up like no tomorrow and I think by adding more houses and more people it's just going to be awful', she said.
'I believe over the next ten, 15 years we will just be from Bognor to Chichester, joined by the number of houses.'
READ MORE: 2,200 homes near West Sussex village have been approved
She also highlighted fears that the village's road infrastructure will be unable to cope.
Sian said: 'What used to take 10-15 minutes to get to Chichester in the morning already takes about an hour. When you add a lot more traffic to that it's going to be even worse.
'There's just not room for more houses and people until they start making the facilities to go alongside them. We need better road networks.'
📍Chalcraft Lane, Bersted Plans to build up to 2,200 homes in Bersted, West Sussex, have been approved. Read the full story here:
— Francesca Williams (@franjourno_) May 22, 2025
Another resident, Julia Watling, 50, also shared similar views.
She said: 'You come down here first thing in the morning when the kids are at school, it is nose to tail down Chalcraft Lane. It is absolutely dreadful.
'It's just getting too crammed. I know we've got to cater for other people, but this is ridiculous. All these people are doing is sitting at desks and thinking, where can we build next time.'
However, another resident shared that they were unaware of the works.
They said: 'I wasn't aware of this. They're building houses everywhere aren't they!'
Social media reaction further highlighted public anger towards the decision, one user describing the decision as "terrible".
Denise Woods also felt that it was the wrong decision. She said: 'This is so bad for Sussex, we have already had so much development tacked onto our beautiful villages and towns that's it has become overcrowded and unsightly.'
'Chalcroft Lane will become a super highway if they're not careful.'
Councillor Martin Lury, Leader of the council and Liberal Democrat group, explained how the development is part of the local plan – allocated by a previous Conservative administration.
In this, the area had been identified as a strategic development and therefore, despite local protest, made it difficult for the planning committee to refuse.
Cllr Martin Lury (Image: Arun District Council) He told The Argus that the committee had initially deferred the plans due to the highway impact, however West Sussex Highways said this would be 'small and temporary', leaving the committee with no other option.
He said: 'No one on the planning committee seemed to want to vote for it, it's wrong to put so much housing in the west of the area.
'We've tried to argue the case, but we've run out of options. In local plans it's very difficult to turn it down, you get hammered by the government.
'I've never voted for Chalcraft Lane, it's not an appropriate place to build houses. I've been fighting this for years, but we are completely tied because it's in the local plan.
'We realistically couldn't vote against it because that would incur costs on an appeal case we couldn't win.'
He echoed concerns raised by residents regarding the area's infrastructure and its ability to cope with the influx in people.
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He highlighted issues with water, flooding, health services such as dentists, as well as the road infrastructure.
He added: 'There is local resentment that a proper public consultation in person has not taken place. It was done online which clearly may have reduced participation with an elderly population
'I totally understand people complaining, we tried everything we could to stop it or to obtain the proper road infrastructure, but alas to no avail. If I thought we would win of course it would go to appeal.
'Chalcraft Lane will become a super highway if they're not careful.'
The site is earmarked for up to 2,500 homes as strategic site SD3 in the Arun Local Plan and will likely be built in eight phases, finishing construction in 2039.
