Final decision on Felpham housing tonight

Councillors are set to back the proposals for 464 homes as part of the large site six development.

The detailed application by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes is to build the housing on three fields immediately north of Westmorland Drive and Normans Drive.

The companies' plans are being debated by Arun District Council's development control committee.

Members are likely to approve them because the principle of the development of a total of 700 homes was backed by the government in November 2006.

The current application covers the first three phases of the overall scheme. It also include two shops which measure 217sq m.

The building work will be the largest number of homes to go up in Felpham since the Flansham Park estate was built in the mid-1970s.

Barratt and David Wilson want to build 142 three bedroom houses, 86 two bedroom flats, 81 four bedroom houses, 62 two bedroom houses, 58 one bedroom flats and 35 five bedroom houses.

Of those, 139 will be affordable dwellings. Most of these will be one and two bedroom flats and two bedroom houses.

Arun planning officer Stephen Cantwell tells the committee in a report: "In terms of design and layout, the appearance of the buildings proposed is reasonably successful in creating a highly permeable and visually interesting development.

"Some enhancement of the flatted blocks may be explored if members wish to incorporate a more locally distinct and interesting design."

The developers had created a development which became more built-up in the centre to respect the boundary with existing housing.

The only road access between the two areas will be at Westmorland Drive.

This will have a gate with three bollards. One will drop down using an electronic control device which will restrict access to buses and emergency service vehicles only.

Other measures which Mr Cantwell comments about in his report are the street designs which give equal priority to pedestrians in the estate's interior.

The limits on working hours to limit the disturbance of the construction workers to the nearest residents. The closest existing houses on the A259 Flansham Lane between 15-25m from the roundabout junction which will provide access to the proposed housing.

Surface water and foul water drainage are covered as well along with the managment of flood risk and the amount of open space and play areas required.