Bersted residents want councillors to figh housing scheme

The initial returns in the parish-wide postal poll show 209 votes in favour of formally opposing the scheme off Chalcraft Lane and 30 against.

Each of the 3,797 households in Bersted has been given one vote, using a Freepost postcard, in the letterbox referendum. It must be returned by August 23.

A few remaining question slips are still outstanding and should be delivered to homes soon.

The parish council will use the final voting figures to decide its course of action regarding the 2,000-home proposals by the Church Commissioners and farmer David Langmead at its meeting on September 10.

Council chairman Brian Knight was criticised by members of the public during a heated public session at Tuesday's meeting of the parish council where the early voting figures were disclosed.

Some 20 of them turned up to urge the council to do more to fight the housing plans. They urged greater co-operation between the council and those in Aldwick and Pagham whose residents would equally be affected if the major development went ahead.

Others were unhappy with the leaflet which accompanied the voting postcard for including the 105,000 the parish council spent fighting the previous site six proposals.

Ann Smee said she believed the leaflet should have been replaced with an updated version to take account of the planning application for the housing plus employment and community sites submitted in late July.

She described the intended scheme as a satellite town which would change Bersted for ever if it went ahead.

But Mr Knight said the original leaflet should be distributed to everyone.

"Every household has to have the same information," he said. "If we don't do that, we will be criticised later on by someone saying they were given something different to everyone else."

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