LETTER: Is priority health or shopping?

As a member of the thriving Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre (BBHLC) 50 Plus group (over 450 members and growing) I am delighted, though not surprised, to read that visitor numbers have increased by 15.8 per cent overall at BBHLC and are the highest in the site’s history.

It is very obvious to anyone who visits that the centre is well-used and popular with people of all ages and abilities, both local to Horsham town and throughout the district.

HDC claim figures ‘illustrate their commitment to getting more people, more active, more often.’

But when pressed as to the extent of the facilities to be provided when the site at Broadbridge Heath (presently occupied by the leisure centre and indoor bowls club) is redeveloped the only priority that can be gleaned is an allocation of 75,000 square feet for ‘complimentary’ goods retail space; a little bigger than the current Tesco building which is situated opposite! Contrastingly, despite working with Westrock development consultants for many months, they still do not know the overall size of the building nor the proportion of it allocated to the replacement leisure facilities. Can you actually believe that?

So perhaps this belies their real commitment which should be rephrased as ‘getting more people, doing more (out of town centre) shopping, more often.’ A healthy move by HDC? I think not.

Sue Kornycky

Cox Green, Rudgwick,