LETTER: Development pledges not met

We are promised within these plans 30 per cent affordable housing which equates to 825 out of the 2,750 proposed.

I would first ask what is affordable and second do we really think this is a reality?

As we have seen before in Broadbridge Heath they were promised affordable housing which was met with a shortfall by many dwellings.

Also promised were a school and doctors’ surgery, all now not in the planned infrastructure, again a promise not to be met.

Now we are to see more housing and I ask should we see the infrastructure development before they lay one brick for the housing?

I fear that we will see little added infrastructure and just those out to milk the system for profit and this will not include affordable housing needs.

If we look at the buildings erected on the old north Novartis site, I think that Horsham District Council has taken leave of its senses.Looking at the present development on Parsonage road. This road, once a tree- lined area with a historic hedge bordering the Novartis northern site, and now we see this monstrosity of a development bordering up to the road. I suppose that this will be topped off when we see the next development phase on the southern site and will complete a canyon to drive through.

If Horsham council planners wished to create a replica suburb of South London they have succeeded. After all the continuous disruption the people living in the vicinity have had to endure, I ask, is it worth it?

I also ask where the affordable housing is located by percentage on this site.

Also I find distasteful that Horsham Society has endorsed these disgraceful changes to our once historic town.

I realise that we must move forward but as seen in other parts of the country this has been carried out in a tasteful way, the likes of Bath etc.

But we still just see the capitulation in this town by the council.

I have a recollection that the building quota was driven by the EU and now we have supposedly left this draconian institution why do we still have to have this monstrosity built in the Sussex countryside?

No this is not NIMBYism just common sense.

We are in Horsham a dormitory town with little or no industry left as the larger industries have decided to leave or downsize and we will be left with on the new Horsham development just distribution and logistics.

I ask can our small congested road network deal with this? They are placing land aside for a new rail link, what we need is a new rail marshalling yard added to get the freight off the roads like the continent. But instead this short term project is just to put more passengers, on an overloaded rail structure, who commute to London and afar.

All we see is short term solutions to larger issues.

However I am lucky as the wheels of this country and county grind slowly and I will be dead by the time a solution is sought.

I think that our grandchildren will be lucky or unlucky to see HS2 in the next 30 years with Horsham development along with any Gatwick development.

Yes we are now a third world country and if we look to others where they build on time and on budget we don’t deserve our status as engineers.

I think I can now relax and enjoy this wonderful Sussex countryside, look to the stars in the sky and think this is a wonderful place to live and let all the issues fall upon council incompetence.

Tony Hicks

Broome Close, Horsham

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