RESIDENTS of Nappers Wood in Fernhurst will have a chance to look at the latest plans for the £5.8 million redevelopment scheme at an exhibition on Monday, April 28.
Details of the planning application which has been submitted to Chichester District Council can be seen between 2pm and 7pm, at 101 Nappers Wood.
The proposal is to demolish 54 of the 110 houses and replace them with 26 three bed houses, 21 two bed houses, 12 two bed bungalows and 20 two bed flats. The plans were given the thumbs up by Fernhurst Parish Council, when discussed at a recent planning committee meeting.
Planning chairman Iain Brown made the announcement at Fernhursts annual parish meeting last Wednesday.
"We believe the layout is attractive and the design acceptable," he said. "We hope that after the dust settles, all Nappers Wood residents, past, present and future will come to appreciate it."
Mr Brown hoped that the proposal would lead to a satisfactory end to the long running issue.
"We have been saying that this is the largest and best 'brownfield' site this parish will ever see," he said. "We must maximise the use of the land to the benefit of existing Nappers Wood residents and for the rest of the village. It should take the development pressure off the greenfields which envelope our village."
Thirty two garages will be knocked down as part of the plans, which will result in 135 homes on the estate. The existing bungalows will be refurbished.
The original plan was to demolish all of the homes, but the social landlord in charge of the project, Chichester District Community Housing - now renamed Martlet Homes - couldn't find the necessary funds.
Chichester District Council refused to meet the £1.7 million shortfall, unless 25 more homes were added. Until this new proposal was submitted, there were concerns that the project would had to have gone back to the drawing board, and been delayed even further.
The redevelopment plan has long been a source of contention, with many people having waiting more than five years for their homes to be improved.
A number of residents have complained about bungalows that are very small, poorly insulated, suffer from damp and condensation, and lack insulation, modern bathrooms and kitchens.
However, other more elderly residents didn't want to go through the stress and upheaval of leaving their homes while the redevelopment plan went ahead.
The application will be decided at a future meeting of Chichester's area development control committee.