OPPOSITION is likely to grow following an exhibition and a public meeting of the latest proposals for the former Syngenta site, which took place last week.

Comer Homes, the London-based developer, has presented its proposals to the village prior to submitting a full planning application to Chichester District Council, for the 100-plus acre site.

The exhibition was followed by a question and answer session on the plans last night (Thursday).

The site was previously home to ICI Plant Protection, before it was taken over by Zenica and finally Syngenta who vacated the building several years ago and there is much unease in Fernhurst about future proposals.

The latest schemes involve the redevelopment of the main office building to provide 350 apartments, together with an integral semi- private health club, along with other homes on the site.

A preferred option also includes a new 260- bedroom hotel and 90-bed residential care home, along with the main scheme. The other, along with the same provision of 350 apartments, is to provide affordable housing on the edge of the site in place of the hotel and care home.

"Officers at CDC met several months ago with the developer and his agent and offered advice on the initial proposals," explained Sam Howes, deputy chief executive of Chichester District Council.

"It is our understanding that the current proposals are in part the developer's response to that meeting, as well as the continued promotion of substantial elements of the original scheme.

"CDC officers' advice to the Comer Group was confined to a critique of what was originally proposed together with suggestions to address their initial concerns."

But several Fernhurst parish councillors have been quick to comment on the latest proposals.

Jim Self, who is the vice-chairman of Fernhurst Parish Council planning committee, said: "Personally my heart sank as I walked into the room. I was disappointed in the lack of detail and found it very similar to that which was at the last presentation."

Mr Self was also critical of a lack of advertising of the public exhibition, which he claimed very few people knew about.

Chairman of Fernhurst Parish Council, Carla Barnes, also spoke personally about the latest plans.

"There is no improvement from the original plans seen in January, and I am surprised that there has been no allowance made for environmental heating using combined heating and power using wood chips," she commented.

She said she was concerned about the lack of infrastructure to take account of a massive 50 per cent growth in the population of Fernhurst, if the proposals are accepted.

She declared: "It should have been better advertised – only nine people went on the first day of of the exhibition, eight or nine the next Wednesday, and not many people in evidence last Saturday."

Mrs Barnes also said that the exhibition had not been advertised either in the Fernhurst parish magazine or on local radio.

"The first we knew of it was when somebody out walking their dog, saw a poster located well off the main road, and Chichester District Council also knew nothing about it," Mrs Barnes claimed.

Anthony Davies, a spokesman for the informal Fernhurst and Lickfold Action Group, FLAG, which comments on planning issues and other matters affecting residents living between the A286 and Lickfold, was also concerned by the would-be influx of residents.

"Nobody seems to be discussing the fundamental issues of what the impact would be on a near 50 per cent increase in the population, although I recognise it is a very difficult issue to grapple with," Mr Davies said.

"I do think that a gated community like this is an anathema in a rural situation like Fernhurst. It takes a lot of time to create a village identity and an inward-looking development will not contribute to life of the village."

Mr Davies is also worried about the lack of health facilities, which would be needed to serve the retired and semi-retired people for whom the apartments would be built.

"There are 300 pages of an environmental assessment, but no mention of health facilities. They haven't even consulted with the primary health care trust and it is a major issue."

Mr Davies also took issue over the height of the main development and said that the action group would be likely to discuss the proposed development early next year.