OBJECTION TO LOXWOOD DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL - NEW DRAFT LOCAL PLAN (NLP)

In response to local and national housing need, Loxwood Village put forward a Local Development Plan, after much consultation, which allowed for 60 houses to be built within the village and these are already underway.

A New (Draft) Local Draft Plan is now under consultation and it is to this new NLP that I object. With regard to the soundness of the Plan, there are a number of issues to comment on. Firstly, the collection of sewage is already an issue, Southern Water having stated that Loxwood has no more capacity within its infrastructure for more disposal. Indeed, the new site at Loxwood Green has had to have sewage collection/holding tanks installed and these have to be emptied, so to have a proposal of some 125 extra dwellings seems to be wrong in terms of sustainable development.

Secondly, the public transport service in Loxwood is very poor, leaving residents with little choice but to use cars for shopping, commuting and recreation. There is little chance of employment within Loxwood, and residents have to commute by car to their place of work. Adding extra traffic caused by the NLP to an already busy and dangerous thoroughfare (the only road through the village) is counter to the sustainability of the Plan.

The fairness of this Plan is also unsafe. Neighbouring villages have not been allocated any development, and Wisborough Green has been allocated only 25. The huge number of houses proposed in Loxwood has been driven by developers proposing sites, with no parish consultation taking place about site allocations and it seems unfair that villages are not taking their share of the burden of new development. National planning guidance states that consultation should have taken place, and it would seem that Chichester District Council has not followed these guidelines.

I understand that new housing is needed but would like to state that Loxwood does not have the resources of roadways, public transport, employment opportunities, shops etc and it is for these reasons that I object strongly to this new proposal. Efforts should be made to find alternative sites for development outside Loxwood