LETTER: New campaign group launched

Soon after the heavily attended meeting organised by Stop Storrington Sprawl on 28th June (reported extensively in the West Sussex County Times of 4th July) objecting to the speculative applications for planning permission around Storrington, residents have suffered a further blow with the application by Crest Nicholson (Eastern) Ltd to build some 75 houses on the north side of Water Lane on the Thakeham/Storrington border (DC/13/1265 on the Horsham District Council planning portal). The Government’s inability to implement the concept of “localism” in planning, has resulted in a number of speculative applications being made in the Storrington and Thakeham area.

The proposed site on open farmland will be accessed from Water Lane. This is a de-restricted cul-de-sac which already suffers serious congestion during the rush hours and regular movements of heavy goods traffic serving the Water Lane Trading Estate and which can only be accessed via the mini roundabout on Storrington Road on the south side of Rydon Community College. A second access is also proposed from Storrington Road via the driveway of Snapes Cottage.

The potential increase in traffic (a minimum of 300 vehicle movements a day) will add greatly to the local loss of amenity as well as hampering necessary goods flow to the trading estate and increasing the traffic risk for children attending Rydon Community College. Outgoing traffic will necessarily pass through the centre of Storrington adding to the already critical levels of air pollution.

It is well known that with the developments already approved, the doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, already at full capacity, will not be able to cater for the additional demand. Air pollution levels, which already breach European and UK pollution regulations, will be further exceeded and schools, which are already full will not be able to accept the increased number of students who come into the area.

FFOF Fighting For Our Fields, with its partners Stop Storrington Sprawl and Thakeham Village Action, will be objecting vigorously to this further attempt to transform Storrington from a rural downland village, already suffering from inadequate infrastructure, into a metropolis without character and without the resources needed to sustain itself.

Alistair Hopper

Fighting For Our Fields