This flood plain is full of all types of wild life, fox, badgers, deer, invertebrates, rare water voles, protected bird species and is a lovely, natural area which should be left as it is. If it becomes developed, it will destroy not only the wildlife but the natural break or Gap which currently exists between Lancing & Shoreham and, before long, Worthing to the west and Brighton to the east will become just one long coastal conurbation. Fortunately, to the north of the A27 we have the South Downs National Park, so that does limit development on the areas to the north although it does leave few opportunities to build in Adur with the Downs to the north and the sea to the south other than within the Lancing/Shoreham Gap. The previous Adur Plan stipulated the preservation of the Gap. Government pressures for development have weakened the resolve to maintain this policy.

Apart from the loss of more countryside, as residents living on the perimeter of the area, we are also very concerned with the problems of flooding if this natural drainage area is covered in miles of concrete and ground water drainage flows are interrupted. The natural fall of the ground over the 1.5 miles from the west to the Adur River sluices in the east is little more than just over a metre – so you can imagine the sensitivity of the drainage in times of prolonged, heavy rainfalls.

Where my network and the one for West Beach are located we experienced severe flooding and sewer problems (like many areas in West Sussex) over Christmas which WSCC/Adur/Southern Water have been steadily remedying with their Operation Watershed – ditches, culverts and street drainage are being cleared and things have improved significantly.

The next public consultation of the Adur Plan is put back to the Autumn but we do need to start talking to the Authority planners as soon as possible if we are to have any timely effect on the outcomes.