LETTER: Sympathy for victim of floods

There must be lots of harrowing stories after the recent storms but I felt very sorry for the owner of The Lodge opposite the Remembrance Gardens in Horsham who had recently rebuilt this low-lying house next to the River Arun, as it had obviously been badly flooded as I walked past it into town on Christmas Eve.

I do not recall the Remembrance Gardens being as being as badly flooded since the late 1950s. However I always thought that the owner should have raised the house another two or three foot a few years ago when it was rebuilt.

When I was walking back home I passed the cottage again and I felt even sorrier for the owner but then bumped into councillor David Sheldon who informed me the owner was not allowed to raise the cottage any higher as he had applied, due to town planners and councillors deciding that it might restrict the view of the parish church! From where I do not know unless you are in the garden of the house!

I appreciate that the planning officers and many councillors have not lived in the town as long as I have, however common sense should have suggested the cottage needed to be raised a lot higher if it was not to be flooded.

The council should at least apologise to the owner and let him make any further alterations he wishes to ensure his property is not flooded again.

COLIN CLOY

Worthing Road,

Horsham