Former Horsham Novartis site ‘perfect’ for school

In the not too distant future, outline planning for the former Novartis site in North Horsham will be considered by Horsham District Council, and by the volume of letters submitted the proposal is not popular with local residents.
SUS-190402-165321001SUS-190402-165321001
SUS-190402-165321001

At the two so-called ‘consultation meetings’ arranged by the developers, in this case West Sussex County Council, the adjudicators flatly refused to discuss anything relating to support infrastructure of any kind, and most certainly not roads, cycle tracks or pedestrian ways outside the site perimeter fence.

There is more than adequate provision to plan in up to three railway bridges that would create an enormous improvement to the viability of this proposed development for both vehicles and pedestrians alike.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A major ‘skew bridge’ at the east end of the site could carry the majority of traffic directly to the southern end of Foundry Lane then on into Harwood Road, one of the main arterial highways in the area.

Two more bridges, directly from the southern end of the site, would greatly ease pressure on existing junctions and very much improve pedestrian and cyclists’ access to the swimming pool, hospital, park and town etc.

The very mention of bridges fuelled an extremely hostile response from the adjudicators.

After many false starts on how to develop this site the mix of three hundred dwellings with a large number of industrial units could not be more toxic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The people movements from these two areas are in total opposition and, in themselves, will create absolute chaos to bring untold misery to all local residents caught up in this tragedy through no fault of their own.

If the developers of this site attempt to do everything on-the-cheap, as with the present proposal, it will be a disaster.

Without adequate investment in infrastructure this site will be a third-rate development, totally unable to compete with other housing and building in the area and will be found wanting.

This site is perfectly placed to provide much of the ‘Community Use’ that is so severely lacking in Horsham, such as schools, doctors surgeries, dentists, etc, etc, that will only become an even bigger major problem with the rapidly increased population.

Nick Zambuni

Parsonage Road, Horsham