Preserve our green and pleasant land

Towards the end of 2008, I responded to a public invitation from Rother District Council to comment on problems and needs within the district. These comments, on various problems and on the appropriate forms of course, were to be considered for incorporation, if suitable, within the RDC’s Consultation on Strategy Directions, which apparently followed on from the Issues and Options Consultation of 2006.

This is all still current business for RDC, as I’ve now heard that the Government has appointed an inspector to conduct an examination to consider the soundness of this RDC Core Strategy

Development Plan Document, talked about from at least 2006, on to 2008, and yes, we’re now in late 2012.

Draw your own conclusions on the use of our taxes.

The Bexhill Hastings Link Road was in that 2008 strategy, and I commented then that “if ever created, it will just propel more excessive traffic into north Hastings and onto the already over-used Ridge.” I then asked how it could connect with the heavy traffic of the A21, and if a N/S/E/W directional movement survey has ever been done on the Bexhill/Hastings road?

Following the Government’s approval of this new road, I wrote this April to the RDC Lead Councillor for this project, asking the same questions … no answer, so I ‘phoned him in May, receiving apologies and comments that he was trying to get the Traffic Survey I’d asked for, and he’d write.

In other words, he and his committee had never even thought about it! It’s now late August – and yes, you are right – I’ve seen nothing.

That original ‘strategy’ proposed over 3000 houses – not the 2000 currently and lightly referred to – on that lovely countryside, with ‘strategic employment areas’. All of these developments are to be made available (for whom ?) around the road which is apparently to be created by a French/German company.

Maybe our district and county councillors are so deeply into strategy directions that they cannot consider such abstract problems as mass immigration, huge British unemployment, and the national desire to preserve our green & pleasant land.

Alan Bolden

Market Road, Rye