A schoolgirl was today praised for helping to save her West Sussex village from a major new development.

Little Emily Barleycorn from Ferring gave a speech to almost 30 council officials and a packed public gallery at Arun District Council's planning committee.

The nine-year-old pleaded with councillors to reject a planning application for 30 two-storey flats to replace six chalet-style seafront houses at The Strand.

Emily, a pupil at Ferring Primary School, practised her two-and-a-half-minute speech in front of her mother, Jacqueline, and confessed she was feeling "quite nervous" just before the meeting.

She had already gathered 30 signatures from school friends on a petition against the development.

Watched by her mother, 11-year-old brother Oliver and her grandparents, she said: "I think building flats would bring lots more traffic and because we have very narrow roads and no pavements this would be very dangerous for elderly people and children.

"Ferring has a magical character and is a beautiful, old-fashioned sort of village. If people want to live in modern, trendy, sparkling places they should go somewhere like Brighton."

Emily worked out there would be an extra 360 traffic movements in and around the village every day if the application from Dorset-based Grangefield Developments Ltd was accepted.

She calculated the figure by taking into account new residents, their visitors and additional journeys taken by milkmen, postal workers and refuse collectors.

Emily came up with the idea of addressing the council while walking from the beach with her dogs Coco and Pebbles to her home in Beehive Lane.

She said: "I was walking home and saw a sign about the application. I thought I had to do something because they would be pulling down some really nice houses and it would mean lots more traffic and pollution.

"I don't get involved with much stuff like this but I felt really strongly about this. I have lived here for three years and there are so many activities to do like walking my dog on the beach and going swimming in the sea when it's hot.

"Ferring is a really friendly place and also really peaceful. All that would change if the flats were built. It would become a trendy, polluted place."

She finished her speech to the 100-strong crowd by saying: "I hope I did OK because a lot of people are relying on me."

She was later praised by councillors and Acting Chair, Coun Jean Goad said: "You presented your views extremely well."

Emily's mother, Jacqueline, said: "This was all Emily's own idea. She's always prepared to speak up for what she thinks is right. I'm really proud of her."

Emily was one of two villagers who addressed the planning committee last night. Chairman of Ferring Seafront Environment Association (FSEA), Geoff Acland also gave a short speech.

Councillors decided unanimously to refuse the plans for reasons including flood risk, inappropriate size, noise and disturbance to neighbours, and increased traffic.

The council received 418 letters of objection to the flats and last week council officers recommended the application be thrown out.

Jenny Saunders, who is secretary of FSEA, said: "We are all so pleased with the decision. All but a handful of residents were against the scheme for the flats."

The RSPB also opposed the project. Conservation officer Gavin Bloomfield said: "Little egrets, which although are not rare are still fairly uncommon, are rather shy birds and would probably be put off using the river if there were flats nearby."