Details have been kept secret until this week, when developers gave residents their first glimpse of the proposals and invited them to take part in a "community planning weekend" on July 18 and 19.

Many of the homes — around 1,500 — had already been earmarked by Irish food business Greencore Group on nursery sites it owns at Toddington, north of the railway line, but hundreds more are envisaged along the line of the new link road.

The masterplan is still in the early stages and it is being stressed that the views of residents are wanted to help shape the development and its wider impact on Littlehampton.

A leaflet promoting the community planning weekend states: "The aim. . . is to create a sustainable, new vision for north Littlehampton, including the mixed use redevelopment of land to the north of the railway and the proposed new Academy, and consider how this new investment can help the wider regeneration of Littlehampton, including the communities of Wick and Ham."

"Once in a lifetime chance"

It adds: "These and other opportunities are a once in a lifetime chance to bring much-needed investment into the town and help deliver new homes, jobs and community facilities to the area."

The link road is not a new idea, having been talked of for many years as the Fitzalan Road extension. The route would run from East Street, then between Highdown Drive and Littlehampton Community School fields to the A259, before continuing north over a new bridge crossing of the railway and providing a Lyminster bypass joining up to the A284.

What could prove to be controversial is the hundreds of extra homes along the first section between the town centre and the A259, which would help to fund that stretch of road and create an improved access to the proposed academy on the site of Littlehampton Community School.

Arun and town councillor Mark Butler pointed to the timing of details emerging of the new development, just days after the end of the consultation period into the proposed Eco-Town at Ford.

He said: "Residents of Littlehampton who have been very concerned about what might happen at Ford should now have their eyes open to the possibility of up to 2,000 new homes on their doorstep at Littlehampton.

Timing "irony"

"All the time that the Eco-Town was being discussed, nothing was said about plans that were being drawn up at the same time for 2,000 homes right under our noses. It's ironic that this has come out of the woodwork now."

He also criticised linking the building of part of the road, to serve the academy, to further housebuilding.

However, town, Arun and county councillor Dr James Walsh gave the masterplan a warmer welcome. "We are at the first stage of a planning consultation to look at meeting local housing needs, coupled with long-overdue road improvements, which could see the replacement of the Lyminster level crossing by a bridge over the railway, and a Lyminster bypass.

"There would also be a new entrance to the proposed academy and a generally better entrance for road traffic into and out of Littlehampton.

"If handled sensitively, this could produce enormous benefits for both retail and industrial trade in Littlehampton, as well as providing a large number of low-cost, affordable homes."

The two-day planning event at the Wickbourne Centre, Clun Road, Littlehampton will run from 2-7pm on July 18 and from 11am-4pm on the 19th, with a report back meeting at All Saints' Church, Wick, on July 22 at 7pm.

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