Plenty of warning

I WAS intrigued by the discrepancies in the information obtained by P. W. Watson and councillor Dr James Walsh in the matter of the floodings on Sea Road (Gazette letters, February 17).

We don’t know the timescale, but the West Sussex County Council highways department seems to have learned a lot between the two enquiries. To me, and with no disrespect to Mr Watson, it seems that, as a mere council tax payer, he was fobbed off in good bureaucrat style – a list of reasons why something can’t be done.

Assuming Dr Walsh obtained the full, correct story, we can see why we need elected councillors!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Or is it another case of “too many chiefs and not enough injuns”, ”left hand not knowing what right is doing” and “mountains out of molehills”?

And this is not a new problem. I recall coverage of it in this newspaper about a year ago, when we were advised that, rather obviously, the drains were known to be blocked with material from the beach. Surely the highways department found out then, if not before, what it would take to cure the problem?

But Mr Gaydon (letters, February 24) has the right solution – do nothing and we simply exercise common sense and consideration for others – Mr Cameron’s Big Society. The irony of that is that it will probably take the county council so much time, trouble and expense to decide to do nothing, they may as well do the job.

John Morris,

Maltravers Drive

Littlehampton