Campaigners write open letter to Chichester MP concerning 'urban sprawl' on Manhood Peninsula

The latest plans submitted for East Wittering include 45 new houses to be used as sheltered accommodation (22/02235/OUTEIA) and a 280 home development (22/02214/FULEIA) which, if approved, would both be built at Stubcroft Farm.

Manhope, a campaign group which speaks out against the urbanisation of the western end of the Manhood Peninsula, has sent out a leaflet and poster concerning the latest development, with the support of East Wittering Parish Council, to around 4,500 residents in the area.

In the open letter, the Manhope team wrote: “Barratt Homes are proposing another high density housing estate for 325 homes which will be by far the largest development on the Western Manhood Peninsula.

"This site plan covers over 40 acres of prime arable farmland and threatens to turn our seaside villages into an unsustainable urban sprawl.

“The Stubcroft fields are part of the last coastal undeveloped green fields between Brighton and Southampton that could be lost forever under concrete and Tarmac. This is unbelievably short-sighted with the loss of the Ukraine breadbasket of Europe to the war with Russia, our country needs all the crops we can grow to be self sufficient and minimise expensive food imports.

“The Western Manhood Peninsula has, as all the harbour villages, been swamped by new housing estates and is suffering the consequences of poor infrastructure that struggled to cope before the huge property developer land grab.

"We must be aware that if we only think of the now and don't plan for the wellbeing of our future generations and care for our environment we are sleepwalking towards disaster – the message of Cop 27 which we ignore at our own peril.”

Plans for the 280 home development have also been met with multiple objections with, as of writing (November 16), 93 objections to Chichester District Council.

Objections to the plans to develop Stubcroft Farm have also seen opposition from neighbouring Selsey, West Wittering and Earnley’s parish councils.