Traffic worries over new homes at Toddington

Around 375 people attended the exhibition at the former Body Shop Visitors' Centre at Watersmead.

If the plans are approved, developers George Wimpey and Laing Homes will start work early next year on the three-year scheme.

A major concern for existing residents was the increase in traffic generated by the new homes on the already busy A259.

The plans include closing Toddington Lane to all but cyclists and pedestrians and building a new access road further east. Drivers emerging from this junction will be banned from turning right and made to use the Watersmead roundabout instead.

Neil Rowe of RGP Group, the transport planners for the site, said the planned junction and road had been assessed, using computer traffic modelling programmes, and no problems had arisen.

Wilf Daggett, a member of Littlehampton Civic Society, who lives in Barns Close, next to the site, said closing Toddington Lane was a "ridiculous" idea, as was having one junction for such an increased volume of traffic.

"It's going to put an awful lot of strain on the already busy A259," he said. "As well as having all the existing traffic from Toddington Lane, there will also be the extra traffic from the 400 new homes.

"Arun's brief describes Toddington as having an intimate village character, but that's going to be ruined by building 400 houses next to it."

Kevin Howlett, of exhibition organisers PPS Group, said: "I think the exhibition went well and judging by the number of people who came along, there is a lot of interest in the site.

"Traffic was an issue, but it was one of the issues, such as education and provision, that was expected to be raised.

"At the moment we are gathering the results from the questionnaire which will be fed back to the clients who will be looking at them carefully.

"We will then be able to answer any further concerns that residents may have and let them know the results of the questionnaire."

A helpline has been set up by the developers for people to comment '“ 02074 910 991.