News from the Arundel Community Land Trust
Originally published Winter 2020
Ford Road Outline Planning Application
BY the time you read this article the deadline for comments on the Ford Road Development Outline Planning Application will have passed, however you can still read key documents from the Ford Road Page (www.arundelclt.org/Ford-Road/) of our website. We will continue to keep this page updated with news of the development, the outcome of the current planning application as well as details of the development itself.
The Norfolk Estate & Savills consulted with local residents on the latest plans for the scheme in August 2020: 80 residents and other stakeholders responded with 61% stating that they supported the draft plans. Many of these responses cited Arundel CLT as the reason for their support, given the role the CLT is playing in ensuring that the affordable housing will be genuinely affordable – social rents – and available to those with a local connection to Arundel in perpetuity.
These are the key long term community benefits of the Arundel CLT involvement in this development. We, on the board of the Arundel CLT continue to work with the Norfolk Estate, their advisors Savills and our Registered Provider (RP) of Affordable Housing, Aster, on important issues such as the Local Lettings Plan to be agreed with Arun District Council. This will ensure allocations are made to those in need with a local connection to Arundel.
We are also doing all we can to influence other aspects of this development such as the use of open spaces, better cycling / pedestrian access to and from the site and enhanced bio-diversity.
The Ford Road site as part of the Local Plan
Arun District Council’s Local Plan sets out the need for housing across the district, and every parish needs to allocate their share of this growth. Arundel is uniquely challenged being surrounded by the South Downs National Park and flood plain, so there are not many places suitable for development.
As part of the 2019 Neighbourhood Plan Review residents were consulted on sites put forward by a number of landowners for development. Whilst no site would be ideal and given a choice Arundel Town Council would not have submitted any sites for development, but they had to allocate land for at least 100 new dwellings. The job of the NP Committee was to allocate land that would be sustainable and feasible, but more importantly that would pass referendum of the Arundel electorate.
It is worth noting that if the development was not carried out as part of an adopted NP, then rogue developers and landowners would develop housing in ways that could increase numbers further, with less environmental protections and without ensuring the affordable housing was truly affordable or for local people.
Biodiversity Statement
Another development since our last newsletter is the publication of our short Biodiversity Statement (www.arundelclt.org/Biodiversity-Statement/). This summarises the work of our biodiversity sub-group during the year, which led to a very useful discussion amongst all board members to grow our understanding and sensitivity to biodiversity and green issues.
Green Infrastructure Network
The Ford Road development is creating opportunities to implement the Green Infrastructure Network policies set out in the 2019 Arundel Neighbourhood Plan Review. We are pleased to see these are also reflected in the Outline Planning Permission.
You may also be aware that a safe cycling/walking route from Arundel to Ford Station (and beyond to the A259/ NCN2) could be funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the provision of new homes. If you walk or cycle and would like to find out more about the Arundel Cycling and Walking Forum (ACWF)- see this page on the Love Arundel website
Help Us Grow the CLT Membership
Finally, we would like to grow the membership of the CLT, not least because it will ensure that the CLT board is accountable to the broader community and shape our work in the future: So please mention this to your friends and neighbours. The application form is on our Get Involved (www.arundelclt.org/Get-Involved/) page.
We will have a stall at the Farmers’ Market (pandemic restrictions allowing) so please come and say ‘hello’ to us there.
If you have any questions or comments on our activities, this article or our website, please let us know by emailing info@arundelCLT.org