I wish Chichester District Council to note and record my objection to the proposed building of a further 125 houses in Loxwood, which is in addition to the 60 houses already allocated in the current Local Plan.
My reasons for objecting are:
1 There are no opportunities for employment in Loxwood. Residents therefore have to commute to work.
2 There is only one bus daily to Guildford, and no other public transport, so residents must commute by car. Extra housing will lead to further congestion on already congested local roads to Guildford and Horsham/Crawley.
3 The sewage system in Loxwood is already at capacity, and holding tanks have had to be installed at the recently constructed Nursery site, to deal with periodic over-capacity. Southern Water has no plans to update the waste water infrastructure in Loxwood, and the village is already prone to surface water flooding, and flooding from streams within the village.

In summary, building an extra 125 houses in Loxwood is not sustainable, and therefore the draft Chichester District Council Local Plan is unsound.

I further contend that Chichester District Council has not consulted with Loxwood parish regarding site allocation prior to publishing its draft Local Plan. This is in contravention of national planning guidance, which states that district councils should consult with local parishes on site allocation. Additionally, the draft plan places an inequitable burden on Loxwood in the allocation of houses relative to the other two "service villages" in the area. Kirdford and Plaistow/Ifold have no houses allocated, and Wisborough Green has only 25 houses allocated.

Chichester District Council should amend its draft Local Plan, as in its current form it is unsound and due process has not been followed. If these extra houses are required, then sites should be found where development is sustainable.