THE planning meeting where the decision was made to grant planning permission for Ikea in Lancing was crowded, and the large majority of those present clearly opposed this development.

All members of the planning committee had been provided with a booklet detailing exactly why most local residents did not want this development to go ahead.

Some councillors raised valid points from this document, which I feel were basically ignored by the council members present.

The job of a councillor is to represent the interests and views of his/her constituents.

The councillors who supported the proposal acknowledged that most people locally opposed it...

and they still supported it.

How dare they be so arrogant as to superimpose their personal views and political affiliation on those who they are supposed to represent.

It is hardly a coincidence that all the Tory councillors supported the proposal, all the others opposed it.

It feels like a clear example of a Tory preference for development at any cost regardless of the relevance for the locality..

So we will all have to live with massively increased traffic, pollution, environmental damage and an increased likelihood of flooding.

Promises of affordable housing have already been watered down.

There are already substantial retail job opportunities at Holmbush.

We don’t need more of those sort of jobs.

Thank you very much Tory councillors.

Pattie Horrocks, Broad Reach, Shoreham