Letter: Poor deal for Broadbridge Heath residents

Further to your excellent article concerning the new neighbourhood centre at Broadbridge Heath in your 6th July 2017 issue, I totally agree with Matthew French's comments that it is a '˜bum deal' for the village of Broadbridge Heath.
Mel Preston submitted this photo to illustrate concern over parking issues at Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road, Broadbridge Heath.Mel Preston submitted this photo to illustrate concern over parking issues at Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road, Broadbridge Heath.
Mel Preston submitted this photo to illustrate concern over parking issues at Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road, Broadbridge Heath.

It is also a ‘bum deal’ for the residents of the Bovis Homes’ section of the Wickhurst Green, development for the following reasons.

1) Horsham DC very conveniently failed to notify all the residents who objected to this development by changing the start time of the Planning meeting from 18.00 hours to 17.30.

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2) It is a ‘bum deal’ particularly for the residents of Thompson Road, because the properties on the northern side of the road will have their rear gardens and bedrooms overlooked by the second floor of the development. Thereby, invading their privacy.

3) It is a ‘bum deal’ because as with all new estates, there is a growing influx of young families with children and as is usual with Countryside Properties, there is complete lack of facilities for children to play within easy and safe distance from their homes. So what do children do? They play in the street and as can be seen in my point number four, this will prove to be a fatal accident waiting to happen.

4) It is a ‘bum deal’ because the residents of Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road will have to tolerate a vast increase in through traffic on narrow new estate roads (see photo) as both the eastern and western entry sides of Sargent Way will have access from the non-downgraded section of the A281, meaning that HGVs, articulated lorries, white van man and all other vehicles will use Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road as a ‘rat run’ for drivers heading from the east and western sides of Horsham. Primarily because the new dual-carriageway A264 is used less than ten per cent of the A281, just like this proposed development, yet another ‘white’, or in this case yellow, elephant, from Horsham DC.

5) It is a ‘bum deal’ because everybody has commented on the inadequate amount of parking to support this development which means that Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road, will have a vast increase in difficulties with parking. Especially with people ‘just popping to the new convenience store’ which plans to open from 06.00 to 23.00 hours every day of the year.

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6) It is a ‘bum deal’ for every resident of Broadbridge Heath as well visitors and passing traffic whom have to look at this so called neighbourhood centre eyesore, which is being developed for the sole purpose of financing Countryside Properties.

7) It is a ‘bum deal’ because the purchasers of a Bovis Home, on this estate in 2014 and 2015, were assured that the neighbourhood centre to be built on this site was to be two storeys not three, it would contain a limited number of flats, a community room, a doctors’ surgery, a play/pre school facility and three or four retail outlets. This is certainly not what is being proposed here.

As you can gather, I am, along with many residents in Sargent Way, Thompson Road and Ellis Road, totally against this development.

Mel Preston

Sargent Way, Broadbridge Heath