New Development in Pagham
Building on the village's northern edge
New housing development on the northern fringe of Pagham has been one of the most contentious local issues of recent years. Planning applications for hundreds of homes on agricultural land between Pagham and Bognor Regis have generated significant opposition from residents who fear the loss of the village's rural character, increased traffic congestion, pressure on local services and the gradual merging of Pagham with the wider Bognor Regis conurbation.
Arun District Council, the local planning authority, has approved several large developments in the Pagham area as part of its efforts to meet the government's housing targets. The Arun Local Plan identifies land for housing growth, and the area north of Pagham has been allocated for development. The council argues that new homes are needed to address the housing shortage in the district and that development must take place somewhere.
Opponents of development have argued that the infrastructure of Pagham cannot cope with a significant increase in population. The village has no supermarket, no GP surgery, no secondary school and limited public transport. The road network, particularly the B2166 and the junctions connecting Pagham to the A27, is already congested at peak times. Adding hundreds of new households will intensify these pressures without guaranteeing proportionate improvements to services and infrastructure.
Flooding and drainage are also cited as concerns. The flat terrain and high water table in the Pagham area mean that new development on greenfield land reduces natural drainage capacity and can increase the risk of surface water flooding. Developers are required to include sustainable drainage systems in their schemes, but sceptics question whether these systems will perform adequately in the long term.
The character argument is perhaps the most emotive. Pagham has historically been a distinct village, separated from Bognor Regis by open farmland. The development of that farmland risks creating a continuous built-up area that blurs the boundary between the village and the town, eroding the sense of place that residents value.
Development is proceeding despite the objections, and new homes are being built. The question for Pagham is whether the village can absorb this growth while retaining its identity.
The infrastructure argument is central to the development debate. Developers are required to make contributions towards infrastructure improvements through the Community Infrastructure Levy and planning obligations, but residents argue that these contributions are insufficient to offset the impact of the new housing. The cumulative effect of multiple developments, each individually judged acceptable, is a transformation of the village's character and capacity that no single planning decision addresses.
The relationship between the village and the planning system is one of frustration for many residents. The perception that decisions are made by a distant planning authority, in accordance with national targets that do not reflect local circumstances, fuels a sense of powerlessness. The parish council's role as a consultee rather than a decision-maker limits its ability to resist unwanted development, and the democratic deficit is felt keenly.
The environmental impact of development is assessed through the planning process, with developers required to submit ecological surveys, drainage assessments and traffic studies as part of their applications. These assessments are scrutinised by the planning authority and by statutory consultees including Natural England, the Environment Agency and the highways authority. The quality and independence of the assessments is sometimes questioned by residents who feel that developer-funded studies are not sufficiently rigorous.