700-home estate in Felpham may take 12 years to build

Barratt Homes Southampton and its subsidiary, David Wilson Homes, intend to build just one property a week at the 700-dwelling scheme.

The news means the long-anticipated Bognor Regis northern relief road '“ which has to be constructed as a condition of the homes being built '“ may not be completed until several years' time. The latest estimate is a completion date five years away.

This is seen as an essential part of the town's regeneration proposals by taking traffic away from the congested town centre.

Julian Jones, the technical director of BDW Homes Southampton, said the company was seeking to renegotiate the strict timetable by which the road had to be built according to the number of homes completed.

"It will cost 16m to build the road and we would like to do it in more bite-size portions because of the current market conditions," he said.

Building work was likely to start next January and February, he said. But a possible start could take place soon on the temporary access to the site to enable lorries and workmen to reach it.