LETTER: Town engulfed by a concrete jungle

It was not very long ago that Horsham was a lovely town amidst pretty countryside and now it is gradually being engulfed into a concrete jungle. I moved here 11 years ago, and shortly after that, a television programme deemed Horsham the 3rd or 4th best place to live in England. How wonderful.

Since then, there has gradually been more and more building, but by far, the worst being Wickhurst Green and Faygate, and the Berkeley Homes development along the A24 - huge huge developments all happening before our very eyes.

Bearing in mind that these developments are going to house thousands of families, we know we are going to have to make way for more children in our schools, more patients in the doctors’ surgeries. The lack of a major hospital close by must be a major concern too.

We can expect much more traffic on the already crowded roads, car parking in the town (not enough as it is) and for those commuting, hundreds more passengers on the already overcrowded trains. And can our drains and sewage system cope? And what about water - it was only last year we had a hosepipe ban (before all the rain) so where is all the water going to come from for Southern Water to provide, not only the developments listed above, but for even more homes?

HORSHAM CANNOT TAKE ANY MORE DEVELOPMENT. There is more than enough going on and it has already blighted our lovely town and surrounding countryside. We can no longer call Horsham a country market town. Can’t the ‘powers that be’ not see what a disaster this could be for our lovely town - a town they should care about and protect.

I know there has to be development, but the vast estates that are being built at the moment must surely be enough to house our local people on waiting lists and more. Where are the rest of the people coming from to take up residency? Doesn’t take much guesswork, but Horsham is not the town to provide housing and work for them. We don’t need any more office space - there are plenty empty already.

I implore the planning committees not to approve any further large developments in or around Horsham. You are there in office to look at local planning, but also to take into account the wants and needs of the residents and from what I have read and heard, very few people are in favour of any more building. We do not want to become CRAWSHAM. We are the tax payers so PLEASE listen to the majority of the Horsham community and leave the countryside as it is. Leave us some countryside to enjoy.

I reiterate other residents by saying HORSHAM IS FULL. I am not a NIMBY but I can see when a lovely town is going to be totally spoiled and overcrowded.

NO NO NO to any further development around Horsham -

Lesley Webb

Owers Close, Horsham