IN A TOTALLY unexpected move, Worthing borough councillors have thrown out the 875-home housing scheme threatening Titnore Woods.
They had been recommended to approve the plans and there was little suggestion that the Tory-run authority had any thought of saying no to the property developers.
Maybe it was the vast wave of opposition in the town that swayed them, maybe the ongoing presence of the protest camp after nearly four years, maybe the articulate and knowledgeable speeches against the development, maybe the tangible seething anger in the hall from a wide spectrum of the town’s population, maybe it was something to do with the forthcoming elections…
It is also very likely that the developers’ consortium will appeal, of course. But that’s a fight for another day.
This is the moment to celebrate the winning of a massive local victory – and the reprieve, for the time being at least, of the woods and fields of West Durrington from the powers of greed and destruction.
Here’s what the local paper put up on its website:
Elation as councillors reject West Durrington development
WORTHING Council’s planning committee has rejected the controversial West Durrington development, which would have eventually featured around 1,200 homes and a school and led to the destruction of ancient woodland.
The council’s development and control committee unanimously voted against officers’ recommendations that the decision be referred, with their backing, to the Secretary of State, and instead rejected the plans outright.
Around 180 people attended the meeting, which was held at the Assembly Hall to accommodate the intense public interest in the scheme.
Many cheered and hugged in the aisle when committee members voted against the scheme.
Others shouted “thank you” and gave the committee a standing ovation.
Violent scenes at previous meetings meant numerous security officers monitored public access and patrolled inside the hall and a heavy police presence kept order outside.
But disturbances inside the hall were limited to a few vocal interruptions and any threat of disorder evaporated once councillors’ opposition to the plans became apparent.
—–
Titnore Protester begins hunger strike in response to wrongful arrest
On the morning of the 5th March ten police officers entered Titnore woods protest site in west Durrington brandishing cameras and gathering footage of the site. One man, Jack Rumbold was arrested and charged with “obstructing a police officer.” Mr Rumbold’s stringent bail conditions forbid him from entering the Titnore woods site where he had been living peacefully for some time, effectively rendering him homeless and unable to contact the other protesters he required to give evidence about the arrest. On the 17th March Mr. Rumbold walked into Centenary house, Durrington’s local police station demanding that he be re arrested and held on remand. Mr Rumbold’s actions were made in an attempt to force the authorities to reassess the situation regarding his disproportionate punishment. Jack maintains there is “no case to answer” regarding the incident. This comes at a time when camp Titnore should be celebrating it’s recent victory in Worthing town hall as the local planning committee rejects plans to devastate over a hundred acres of Goring’s ancient woodland. However, for the camp the relief is all too fleeting, with preparations already being made for the upcoming appeal against the democratically made decision. As the reality of the battle ahead sinks in the camp’s thoughts are with Jack, who will be on hunger strike in a prison cell in Lewes.
For more information contact Titnore Wood’s protest site at 0791353408