Although we fully understand the need for a significant increase in house building, we believe that Fishbourne is a special case. We understand that under the Local Plan Review a further 250 dwellings are planned. The only area of land in Fishbourne capable of taking this number of new built dwellings, is Bethwines Farm, an area of sustainable agricultural land, which is currently a strategic gap between Fishbourne and Bosham. This is despite the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, again stating this week that agricultural land should not be developed and "Local communities should be able to determine not only the right number of homes for their area, but how they fit in."

There are many and varied reasons why this development should not take place.
1. We are sandwiched between the National Park and Chichester Harbour (AONB) which is almost 80% of the available land in CDC. Therefore building is crammed into too small a space, and unsuitable land is having to be used.
2. School capacity
3. Lack of Medical facilities
4. Flooding-- 4 properties in this Close flooded with raw sewage in June 2012, and a further 250 houses will exacerbate an already over loaded system.
5. Roads in Fishbourne are already used as "rat runs" and are not suitable for the CURRENT volume of traffic.
6. Once the strategic gap is closed it will set a precedent. Gradually a conurbation between Chichester and Emsworth will evolve.