Residents are being urged to air their views on proposals for a giant 18 hole golf course at Lancing.

People living near the planned site at New Monks Farm say the development will have a major impact on lives in the area.

They want as many people as possible to attend a meeting next week where council officials will discuss a draft development brief for the site, which developers hope will cover more than 70 hectares.

If the brief is incorporated into the Adur Council Local Plan it could lead to the creation of a golf course, sports pitches for general public use and some open space.

Residents living in the nearby Mash Barn area are worried that access on to any new golf course could be through their estate and say this will cause traffic chaos.

Brighton-based developers Wheelwright Estates, who have submitted planning applications for the golf course and open space, are now considering appealing to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott because their applications are taking so long to process.

Resident Mary Healy, of Mash Barn Lane, who has already contacted the council about the application, is calling for as many people as possible to turn up.

She said: "It is the problem with the traffic that I am most concerned about. The roads around here are already busy and this will make things worse.

"We need to know exactly what is being done to make sure people living around here are affected as little as possible."

The Wheelwright application proposes that all traffic travelling from the west will get on to the golf course and playing fields via Grinstead Lane and Mash Barn Lane.

People using the golf course will be able to leave via the A27, but those who use the playing fields only will return the way they came. Anyone arriving from the east will get on and off the golf course from the A27.

Planning agent for Wheelwright, Michael Cox, said it was originally planned that all traffic arriving from the west would leave via the A27 but the Highways Agency vetoed the plan. The Agency said people should use the local road network instead.

Adur council planning officer Keith Mangan said: "There is not a great deal we can do at the moment. We have to make sure the development brief is incorporated into the local plan before we can give the go ahead to any planning application for the site.

"We had 16 weeks to consider the applications but the time period expired in September and we are still no closer. The applicants are not happy and that is why they are considering an appeal."

The meeting is at Lancing parish hall in South Street on November 3 at 7.30pm and residents have until November 17 to send their views in to the council.