LETTER: Horsham will be blighted forever

Liberty commissioned a study entitled ‘Land North of Horsham, Transport, Infrastructure and Flood Risk Report’. This report was not to be used during the Inspector’s hearing but to be seen when, having won permission, Liberty would submit it as part of their planning application.

Although available to councillors, I believe very few councillors actually bothered to read it. The really staggering news is that the Inspector did not bother to read it either, having been presented with this huge report on the first day of the hearings. We, the residents of Horsham, were not to be given the option to read it until the Inspector had found in favour of Liberty.

I have read as much as I can of this very large file. The traffic assessments are based on a new railway station which is unlikely to be built on the proposed site. Consequently they appear worthless. They also contain major alterations to roundabouts including the ones at Rusper/Crawley Road and Kings Road/Harwood Road/Redkiln Way.

Gas, electricity and water require what appears to be a very large amount of work and investment. There is much talk of Combined Heat and Power, Low Carbon and a locally owned energy company with the use of the Brookhurst Wood Mechanical Biological Treatment Facility. Who is to pay for this very dubious sounding item?

As regards water, Southern Water has confirmed that it has spare capacity for the first 80 dwellings (!) and the rest of the proposals are full of words such as ‘creates the potential’ and ‘can make it a viable option’.

Here we are, not intended to read a document that the Inspector forgot to read. A document that, if adopted, will contribute to the ruination of Horsham as we know it, containing many many ‘pie in the sky’ phrases. Horsham will be blighted forever.

Alan Taylor

Havengate, Horsham