Building of new estate in Bognor moves one step closer

West Sussex County Council has declared 2.5 hectares/6.2 acres of land at the site of the town's community college surplus to requirements.

The land, in two parcels of 2ha and 0.48ha, will be offered to housebuilders once the new college has been built.

Planning permission for 114 homes on the land, off Westloats Lane and Pevensey Road, has been given by Arun District Council.

The new community college opens in September 2010, but the land will not be sold until the 40m scheme funded by the government is completed.

This will involve demolishing the college's lower school after the end of the 2010 summer term and extending the new college's playing fields on to the site.

This should be finished by the end of December 2010.

By then, the county council expects to have reached agreement with Arun District Council to remove a legal restriction from 1935 which means some of the land can be used only for education.

The district council has stated its willingness to lift the covenant provided all the receipts are invested in educational and youth services.

A spokesman for the county council said this would be done.

"The disposals contribute to an overall capital programme funding that will lead to 11m investment in the new Glade/ Michael Ayres primary school in Bognor and up to 10m on Littlehampton primary schools," he stated.

"In fact, funding greater than the receipts expected from the Bognor campus will be spent in Bognor."

It is not known how much the land will be worth.

Figures quoted by campaigners fighting housing on farmland off Chalcraft Lane claim it will be worth 1m an acre with planning permission.

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