New plans for the former Syngenta site at Fernhurst are unveiled

And a pre-planning application presentation has been made by the Comer Homes team, who own the site, to members of Fernhurst Parish Council.

The team said it intended to put in the full planning application to Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority in the next four to six weeks.

David McFarlane led the presentation which was accompanied by detailed brochures and maps of the proposed plans showing the different styles and sizes of houses and flats.

The plans do not differ greatly to previous proposals outlined at public consultations but there is a drop in the number of units to be built.

David explained that Comer Homes and its planning consultants had been in discussion with steering groups working on the Fernhurst Neighbourhood Plan concentrating on integration with the village.

This included building a community hall that would not detract from village facilities, a shop that would not affect the village shops and a community shuttle bus that would help both those in the village and possibly also those living at the King Edward VII developments.

The development plans include 210 units, which would include one, two and three bed flats, live-in work units, 11 different styles of house from two to three bedrooms, some with garages, some with underground parking but also some outside parking.

Emphasis is made on the green spaces, play areas and woodland groves as well as open streams and ditches and footpaths to access the village of Fernhurst.

The pagoda and the Longfield site will remain as part of the new development.

Questions included the prices and the likelihood that first time buyers would be able to afford them, the annual maintenance charges, the accessibility for the disabled, as well as children’s safety and speed limits.

There was also concern over the likely time scale in view of the fact the South Downs National Park Authority had said that it did not want the site developed for the next ten years while the King Edward VII development ‘settled into the infrastructure’.

Many questions could not yet be answered as members of the presentation team said some viability studies still had to be completed. And Comer Homes said market forces would have to be taken into consideration at the time.

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