Sensible plans gone out of the window

To us, as members of Residents for Sensible Development, it is obvious that sensible development has long since left the planning department of Arun District Council.

You only have to look around to see houses being thrown up at an alarming rate, and as pointed out by others, the section 106 agreements that are supposed to benefit the area and community seldom do so, and then inadequately. Once the houses are built, the developers' job is finished.

Time and time again we have been promised improved transport links, shops, recreation facilities, medical facilities and even a new hospital.

With the present Elysian Fields development, it was even suggested that residents could walk to the railway station from the furthest point in 10 minutes. The shop at the Shell Eastfield garage and the newsagents in Horsham Road were quoted as being suitable for a "family shop".

Even the sports complex at Rustington could be walked to along the dual carriageway, which has no footpath.

We have the only open space in Littlehampton still under threat of development, this being the removal of Daisy Field caravan/touring site and the area behind it that used to be part of the Littlehampton School playing fields, now enjoyed by so many for recreation purposes and a popular dog walking area.

The A27 past Arundel is the only east-west route we have and this is rapidly becoming a grid-locked nightmare.

This also applies to the A259, which is already grid-locked at rush hour as local residents commute out of the area.

Commuting has become the way of life along the south coast, as we lack employment facilities and rely on the slim tourist trade which is seasonal.

We can only foresee this getting worse, as the under-construction sites at Felpham and North Bersted will only cause more traffic problems along already saturated routes.

The message is loud and clear. We say stop the development along this, and other areas, until at least we get the infrastructure in place that has been promised over and over again. Roads need upgrading now before the event, not the pie-in-the-sky promises – if you give us planning permission we will give infrastructure.

Reverse the decisions until promises are met.

David Thomas and

John Stevens,

Residents for Sensible Development joint chairmen,

Oakcroft Gardens Littlehampton

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