A FERNHURST councillor wants to reassure Nappers Wood residents that he is not taking Chichester District Council's refusal to provide the £1.7 million needed for redevelopment lying down.

Residents having been waiting for six years for the project - to demolish and rebuild the estate's 110 houses - but have been told that at least 25 more homes would have to be built before the money was released.

Councillor and Fernhurst resident John Mitchell spoke at a Chichester District Council meeting on Tuesday of the "massive dismay and real anger" the decision has produced in Fernhurst.

"The losers - or should I say the victims - of this negotiation currently stand only to be the innocent, by-standing residents of Nappers Wood and Fernhurst Parish's social housing stock," he said. "The council does have a moral duty to these district constituents."

Mr Mitchell said that the council had held one meeting with the scheme's co-ordinators, Chichester District Community Housing, and more were planned to see if was possible to get more houses on Nappers Wood.

"The council believes, contrary to CDCH's advice, that more dwellings can be fitted in to Nappers Wood," he said. "Let us see what they eventually agree to be possible - we all hope the district council is right."

If it is agreed that significantly more homes cannot be fitted in, then redevelopment will require finding new non-housing grant monies, he claimed.

"I will ask CDC and CDCH to cross that bridge when and if we get to it," Mr Mitchell said.