RESIDENTS and councillors were reeling as news reached them of a Chichester District Council's committee's refusal to recommend funding of £1.7m for the Nappers Wood regeneration scheme.

One of the most outspoken critics of the decision, Fernhurst parish councillor, Sandy Livingstone, branded last week's decision by Chichester District Council's executive committee as "utterly outrageous".

Mr Livingstone claimed that residents on the estate are now bearing the brunt of "political ramblings and rulings".

"It is absolutely disgraceful that the committee has not recommended to full council that the funding is provided.

"Some residents on that estate are living in homes officially declared as substandard, and that's just not on in this day and age," Mr Livingstone said.

For six years now, Mr Livingstone continued, residents on the estate have been expecting their landlord, Chichester District Community Housing (CDCH), to get something done about the problems; now they have been left in limbo.

CDCH announced the massive budget shortfall for the regeneration project last month. Many residents on the estate had already seen plans of the proposed new houses and the project architects had been appointed.

The decision to demolish the homes on the estate and replace them with two-bedroom houses was made by CDCH after 60 per cent of the residents who had responded to their survey voted in favour of this option.

Hope for the project to go ahead now rests with CDCH. It was told at the executive committee meeting that it would only be able to receive funding from the Housing Corporation only if it provided an additional 25 new homes in its plans.

A Chichester District Council spokesman also confirmed this week:"CDCH would need to add another 25 homes before we'd think about releasing the money."

Resident and member of the Nappers Wood steering group, Betty Jarvis, told The Herald she was extremely disappointed by news of the funding refusal.

Mrs Jarvis explained that she is living in an uninsulated, damp house, and is reaching breaking point.

"I have been on a housing transfer list for about three years, and am desperate to move into a new house," she said.

But several of the more elderly residents on the estate have said they would prefer to have their existing properties improved, rather than being forced to move into more expensive, larger, houses outlined in the regeneration plan.

Speaking this week, chief executive of CDCH, Martin Ward said his organisation is "anxious to find a positive way forward" for the project.

Mr Ward went on to explain that CDCH has produced a scheme this week which produces an additional 54 bed spaces - equivalent to around 25 households.

"CDCH will do its absolute best to produce a scheme, in full consultation with its tenants and other stakeholders, which we can all live with.

"The company will deliver its promises and it will try to do so on time. Without doubt, this will improve residents' living conditions immeasurably and that has to be worth a little effort – doesn't it?" Mr Ward added.

A final decision will be made about the funding by Chichester District Council at its next full council meeting on Tuesday at 2-30 pm.

And the Nappers Wood steering group will meet at the beginning of next month to discuss the outcome of the council's decision.