Reader's letter: Broadbridge Heath residents have suffered

In early 2014 my family and I moved to Wickhurst Green, we were among the first to move into the Bovis phase of the development near to what is now the neighbourhood centre. We didn’t mind that we were moving onto a building site, there was something exciting about being there first and watching the development grow around us.

Like countless others moving to Wickhurst Green, the sales reps were tripping over themselves to tell us about the exciting facilities that would be springing up – a doctor’s surgery, a family pub and a brand new primary school were among the headliners.

Years later, when we moved out, the novelty of living on a building site had long since worn off, the new doctor’s surgery had been ruled out and the neighbourhood centre offering had been significantly scaled back.

As the district councillors for Broadbridge Heath since 2019, Matt Allen and I have faced battle after battle in our attempts to hold the developers to their commitments – we’ve had some successes, but not as many as we would have liked.

Residents don’t have to look far to see other recent developments that have been finished to a far higher standard and with the facilities that were promised.

It’s hard not to feel that Broadbridge Heath has been let down.

Last week we received the news that the DfE have ruled that there is no longer a need for a primary school in Wickhurst Green, having ruled that there was a need just three years ago.

Despite this, WSCC could still have taken on the land, designated for a school by a Section 106 agreement more than a decade ago, and have held it until a school is required, but they have said that they will not.

This means that the land will now revert back to the developer to do what they wish with it.

This is a punch in the gut to the residents of BBH.

The area, which should have been the heart of our community – a thriving neighbourhood centre and a primary school, is left feeling unfinished and highly lacking.

The downgraded and ill thought through road system, that continues to plague the lives of many, feels meaningless without the school that was integral to the plan for this area.

There have undoubtably been mistakes and bad decisions taken on the new development at BBH and it’s the residents who have suffered.

The past is the past, but there is an opportunity to put this decision on the school right and for the residents of BBH to be sent the message that they matter.

I call on the Conservative cabinets of WSCC and HDC, in particular councillor Nigel Jupp (WSCC cabinet member for learning and skills) and councillor Lynn Lambert (HDC cabinet member for planning and development) to work together to ensure this land is retained for the community.

Please sign our Save Wickhurst Green School petition, which can be found on the Horsham Lib Dems website.

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