A proposal to construct a three-storey apartment building has been turned down amid warnings about potential harm to local bat populations.
The development at 63 Annandale Avenue in Bognor would have involved demolishing a single-family home and accompanying structures to make way for nine independent flats.
Arun District Council refused the application after determining that the construction could endanger bats using the area for shelter.
According to the council, the person behind the application failed to submit required ecological assessments demonstrating that no significant harm would occur to any bat habitats on the premises.
Residents had voiced strong objections to the scheme, calling the proposal excessively large.
Martin Day observed that the proposed three-storey structure’s dimensions and height seemed inconsistent with the neighbourhood’s established appearance.
He noted the scheme would create considerable visual and functional consequences for the locality. He further mentioned that the street already experienced frequent congestion with severely restricted parking availability.
Laima Duffield described the design as entirely disproportionate, while Scott Reed characterised it as bigger, taller, dominant and overwhelming.
Bognor Regis Town Council also submitted a formal objection, stating the three-storey design represented an unreasonable scale of development that would look excessively prominent within the local streetscape.
WSX2 Specialist Housing Ltd, the company behind the proposal, maintained that the structure had been thoroughly thought through and positioned to complement the area’s current appearance.
The town council contested this assessment, asserting the building would be considerably more expansive.
The district council cited additional reasons for its decision, including incomplete drainage documentation and the developer’s failure to offer funding for measures addressing effects on the Pagham Harbour Special Protection Area.
The developer may challenge the ruling within a six-month period.