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Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:37:12 +0000
From: worthing@eco-action.org
Subject: Titnore application
Organization: http://www.eco-action.org/porkbolter

the battle for Titnore is on!

Notification has been sent out this week of a new version of the West Durrington Development application, involving 875 homes "and accompanying facilities" on Worthing borough's last remaining green lung of any size.

There are several changes to the original one such as the business park not being included, highway improvements to Titnore based on a more limited realignment etc but there is nothing significant to make us stop fighting against this.

People need to look at it in detail and write objections, letters to the papers etc. You can see the application at Portland House, Richmond Rd or in the library. Also available should be the Environmental Statement and Traffic Assessment.

Submissions have to be made by 27th February and the new reference number is WB/04/00040/OUT

In an added threat, Tesco have applied for outline planning permission to redevelop their Durrington site to provide a new district shopping centre with a superstore, cafe, shop units on land to the west of the existing store, petrol station, new community centre, assoc car parking and access arrangements.

The Tesco bid is for a small pocket of the West Durrington greenfield land (on the maps it is the south east field that sits between the Durrington Community Centre and the land set aside for the Durrington development).

If the Tesco application slips through then that would mark the beginning of development of this land, so it is vital we all oppose this as well as the main housing application.

Plans can be viewed at Portland House, Richmond Rd and representations on this one also have to be in by 27 February. The Tesco planning application is WB/04/00021/OUT

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Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:53:48 +0000
From: worthing@eco-action.org
Subject: Green Issues mislead public

Green Issues mislead public

GREEN Issues, the Reading-based PR firm hired by the West Durrington developers, have seriously misled the public over the new application. Their mail-out this week incorrectly quotes the application reference number, beginning it with WB/03 (for 2003) rather than WB/04 (for 2004). The mistake is replicated on its website - http://www.greenissues.com/westdurrington [as of time of writing]

This means residents' objections to the hugely unpopular proposal for 875 new homes on Worthing's countryside could be completely invalid and not taken into account by planners.

The firm's use of spin doctoring propaganda is also highly dubious. For instance, they claim "there is, as previously mentioned, no development taking place on Titnore Woods". This claim relies on a pedantic definition of which piece of woodland is called what - the whole area either side of the road is known as Titnore Woods to most of us. At the same time they announce the straightening of the road by South Lodge. This will inevitably seriously affect the woods, though presumably weasel-words Green Issues do not classify road building as "development". They fail to admit how many trees will be lost here or in the main development, leaving the public to deduce that this will neverthless be happening through references to "any trees which are felled or damaged due to the scheme". They also make the nauseating claim: "The development layout has been further refined to keep as many natural features of the site as possible."

How many natural features are going to survive the construction of 875 homes? Worthing people are not going to be hoodwinked by the spin and propaganda from property developers. They know full well what is happening here. Our countryside is being destroyed under our noses, against our wishes, in the name of greed and profit. The developers and council may have imagined that by stalling and delaying the Titnore application, people would lose interest in the issue and allow it to go ahead without a struggle. They'd better think again!

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