Arun District update December 2025

Welcome to your 2025 recap for Arun district!

This year has been one of the toughest for the countryside yet, with government policy and rhetoric turning powerfully against nature and wildlife. Sussex’s landscapes are now under active attack, and sadly Arun District is no exception.

As we look back on 2025, it’s clear how much our shared commitment to protecting Sussex’s countryside matters. From standing alongside communities in Angmering to tackling transport challenges around Arundel and even caring for a little piece of heritage in North Stoke – every effort counts.

As we end the year, we’ll share important updates on planning decisions, Local Plans, and how you can get involved in shaping a greener, more sustainable future for Sussex.

Bewley Road – a victim of housing targets

We were saddened by the recent appeal loss at Bewley Road, in Angmering. This development, for up to 190 dwellings and a community building, was originally refused by the Planning Committee but appealed. The appeal was fought by a brilliant community coalition (Protect Farmland West of Bewley Road) that we were really proud to work alongside. Unfortunately, the appeal was lost with the Inspector concluding that although the site harms both landscape and visual amenity and will be built on higher-grade agricultural land, Arun District Council has an ‘out of date’ Local Plan and cannot show how it will meet its housing targets…

We are so proud to have stood with the local community, and the outstanding energy and dedication shown by Protect Farmland West of Bewley Road has been inspiring. This is an especially sad demonstration of how the governments ludicrous housing targets are harming our countryside, right on our doorstep.

Local Plan update

As mentioned above, Arun District Council’s Local Plan is considered as being out of date. However, they are preparing a new one – you can see updates on this here. It is likely to fall under the new rules for Plan Making, introduced by the government in November. You can read more about those here.

More news is expected in early 2026 and we will be responding to proposals as they emerge.

Connecting communities without costing our countryside

Despite the recent news that the Sussex mayoral elections have been postponed, we’ve been speaking to candidates for the top job about local issues – one of which is how to improve traffic flow along the A27 around Arundel. We campaigned previously against the deeply destructive plans for a dual carriageway that were cancelled by the current government and we continue to advocate for a solution that won’t cause irrevocable harm to the Arundel landscape. We’d love to see sustainable transport options promoted, too.

Thanks to Western Sussex Rivers Trust

We celebrated our annual Countryside Day in September and we were very pleased to welcome our friends at the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, who gave a fascinating talk on the state of our Sussex rivers and what we can do to help them.

We support the brilliant work that Western Sussex Rivers Trust does, including along the River Arun – read more on that here!

Could you care for our classic phone box?

Did you know that CPRE Sussex is the proud owner of a classic phone box? We were gifted a beautiful old phone box in the village of North Stoke, near Amberley. We would love to find a volunteer to keep an eye on it – just a check-up and a quick tidy every few months. Could that volunteer be you? If it could, then please do contact info@cpresussex.org.uk

Thank you

We are so grateful for all of your support in 2025. It’s been an especially tough year for the countryside, nature, climate and our beautiful landscapes, with a government that has seemingly declared war on the environment in both rhetoric and policy. It’s down to the support of people like you that we can continue to stand up and defend Sussex’s green spaces. Thank you for helping us to stand up for the Sussex countryside. We look forward to defending it, together, in 2026!

PS – don’t forget that you can give the gift of CPRE membership this Christmas!

Do you know somebody who loves the Sussex countryside as much as you do? And do you want to give a gift that lasts all year long?

You can buy individual or household CPRE Sussex membership as a gift. As you know, membership comes with a host of benefits including discounts on events and access to houses and gardens across the county – plus the knowledge that you are helping to shape a greener future for Sussex.

Give the gift of CPRE membership.