A decision on controversial plans to build a major apartment complex in Newhaven has been delayed for a second time.

On Wednesday Lewes District Council’s planning committee had been due to consider proposals to build 126 flats and duplexes — many within an 18-storey tower — on land in Beach Road, near to the entrance of Newhaven Port.

On the day of the meeting, however, officers changed their recommendation from approval to ‘deferral without discussion’.

Neil Collins, the council’s head of development management, told committee members the change had come about as a result of an agreement between officers and the applicant, KSD Support Services.

Mr Collins said: “The change has come about through some liaison with the applicant and that is seeking a more full and rounded application to be presented to members, with the benefit of some further information, specifically to address noise concerns.

“Those concerns, within the officer recommendation, were to be dealt with by condition, but with the agreement of the applicant … there is [now] a recommendation for deferral to a future committee so that information can be more fully rounded and so members are in possession of all the information required to make a robust decision.”

The unanimous decision to defer the scheme followed on from a previous deferral in April. At the time, KSD Support Services had requested the deferral due to concerns about the absence of final comments from East Sussex Highways, which it was felt could ‘prejudice the consideration of the item’.

The proposed development has proven to be controversial with local residents, with the council having received 197 letters of objection at the time of publication of the officers’s report.

Objections included a petition from Newhaven’s Liberal Democrat group, which has been signed by 187 individuals. It reads: “While we welcome the development of brownfield sites, they must be in keeping with the rest of Newhaven and meet the town’s needs.

“The 18-storey high tower will be higher than Nelson’s column, and will completely change not just the local street scene but the whole of Newhaven.”

The petition adds: “The previous plans would have delivered a fantastic opportunity, but these plans offer nothing. There is no affordable housing offered in this development, there is not sufficient parking and there will be a major issue with over-development and shadowing.

“It would be fantastic if KSD would work with East Side residents and find a development that works for the community. We accept this is a brownfield site, and we accept it should be used for housing but we don’t accept a tower that offers no affordable housing and will change the look of Newhaven’s skyline.”

Objections have also been raised by Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd. The company, which is the harbour authority responsible for maintaining the port, points out how it owns a small part of the application site and wants to preserve its rights over the land. While this land dispute would not prevent the grant of planning permission, it could mean the scheme as applied for is not feasible in its current state.

The site had previously secured planning permission for a mixed use development (including an 80-bedroom hotel), but this earlier scheme was not built out.

For further information see application reference LW/23/0304 on the Lewes District Council website.