An £8 million plan to build flats above a shopping arcade has been deferred after councillors learnt that none of the flats would be classed as “affordable”.
Arun District Council was awarded almost £628,000 from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund to turn empty units into flats at The Arcade, in Bognor.
But members of the council’s Planning Committee deferred the application for 35 flats above the historic High Street arcade at its meeting on Wednesday 15 October.
As well as the lack of affordable homes, councillors were also concerned that the proposed infrastructure contributions, except to the Pagham Harbour, would be removed as part of the plans.
Officials blamed the financial viability of the scheme which has been hampered by the age and condition of the building, with environmental damage and the removal of asbestos driving up costs.
Councillors questioned the viability of planned solar panels and their energy storage, asking what they would be used for within the scheme if included.
They also asked about a suggestion in the plans that the scheme would cause some harm to the arcade itself and a change in the character of the area.
The Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Martin Lury, told the committee that it was “slightly embarrassing” they were unable to provide affordable housing on an application submitted by the council, stating his support for deferral.
Conservative councillor Ricky Bower said that this deferral would go towards a “revised planning application”.
He said that he would not want to refuse the plans because there were issues with the scheme that “need to be tackled quickly”.
Despite an official recommendation to approve the scheme, councillors deferred their decision on the plans to another committee.
