Anger voiced at plans for 250 homes

The proposal, which was unveiled to the public on Monday, could see a new housing development of up to 250 homes on land to the north of Church Road. The 22-acre housing development on agricultural land would be a mix of two-storey, two, three and four-bedroom dwellings, with up to 30 per cent being affordable properties.

Bilsham Road resident David Pope said the plans would be totally out of keeping with the village.

He said: “Yapton is a lovely place to live, housing developments like this one would absolutely destroy it. They can say it would be sympathetic and in-keeping all they want, but the fact in they want to shove an extra 250 homes in to the village.”

Marnie Willets said: “Yapton is a village, I can’t understand why they want to turn it into a town, how would the infrastructure cope.”

Landowner Keith Langmead said properties would be introduced slowly and not all built at once. He said this should help mitigate any effect on traffic flowing through the village’s centre.

The site, which has not yet received planning permission from Arun District Council, would see two plots of farmland between Ford Lane and North End Road, converted into housing. A further 40 acres would also be landscaped and used as a public green, known as St Mary’s Park.