This group was set up to make people aware of the issues surrounding the building of large numbers of dwellings on agricultural and greenfield land in the parishes of Pagham and Aldwick in the District of Arun, West Sussex. 

With your help, we are hoping to enable the promotion and exchange of ideas as to the best ways of preventing the

re-zoning of this land.  Active involvement is essential if we are to be be successful in achieving this goal, so get involved, campaign as hard as you can, offer constructive ideas, counter government and builders arguments about the need to build, regardless of the consequences and never concede that building on agricultural land is the way to alleviate the "supposed" housing shortage!

Since the government has decreed that it wants at least a million new homes built, there has been pressure put on Arun District Council to build larger numbers of dwellings - far in excess of the demand in the district and more than would be needed for natural population increase. Since the government inspector has suspended the Local plan for Arun the normal restraints on where developers cannot build no longer apply. The developers, having "land banked" large areas of farmland over the years are now seizing the opportunity to be able to develop these sites ahead of "brownfield" sites which are more expensive to build on and so less profitable.

The rich alluvial soils of the flood plain of which the Arun district is part are prime agricultural land. The Manhood Peninsular grows ten percent of England's vegetables. Should we ever be in the situation where we need to be self-sufficient as a nation - as happened in the second world war- every acre of arable land will be needed for food production. As we will soon be leaving the EU it could be that huge new markets may be opening up for food products grown on our farms. It would be pure madness to allow our fields to be concreted over and lost forever.

" We need to insist that our leaders put a stop to these destructive practices, stop putting developers greed ahead of the nation's long term interests, and put in place Local Plans that respect the view that farmland is for agricultural purposes and not for building on under any circumstances. "

Alan Pivett

Chairperson

Email: alanpivett@pagam.uk

Gill Homer

Vice Chairperson

Email: gillhomer@pagam.uk

 Josie Jarvis

Secretary

Email: josiejarvis@pagam.uk

Cynthia Weeks

Treasurer

Email: cynthiaweeks@pagam.uk

Albert Homer                                                                    Vacant                                                                  Vacant

Founder Member & Research                                                               

alberthomer@pagam.uk                                                                        

Pam Hickey                                                                      Jackie Ayling                                                       Vacant

Web Design & Administration                                  Committee Member & Research                  

pamhickey@pagam.uk                                                 jackieayling@pagam.uk