I am emailing to raise objections to the proposed development of two hundred and fifty new houses on Highgrove Farm, Bosham. There are several reasons why I would like to object to this development, which I will outline below.

Firstly, there is the issue of infrastructure. As a regular user of the A259 in the morning, I have no doubt that the extra traffic from the three hundred new residences (including the fifty already planned) will bring the Fishbourne Roundabout to a gridlock. There is so much proposed development to the south and west of Chichester that this is bound to have a knock on detrimental effect to the already overloaded A27 and surrounding roads. With no proposed road infrastructure change, the traffic at junctions will build up and this then has implications for pollution levels. There will already be considerable extra traffic along this road with the opening of the new hospice, which I do not object to because it serves a much needed purpose in the area. However, with the average family now owning two cars, there are potentially six hundred more cars idling on one road and this is not going to be good for the environment or any of the people who live in the area.

My second concern is the increased pressure that three hundred new homes will put on the sewerage system and water transport network. Bosham already has an extremely high water table and only a few years back, during a period of rain, the local pub was severely flooded and had to be closed for over a year. Drainage on the site is not sufficient and as a long time resident of Bosham, I am concerned by the amount of standing water that accumulates in the Broadbridge and Highgrove area and on the farmland during even short periods of rain. I cannot see how building on this land will make this problem go away. In addition to this, by allowing this development you will be adding to the burden on a sewerage system designed for a small village. This is sure to cause future problems.

Further to this, there is the certain destruction of large areas of natural beauty and wildlife habitat. Whilst I understand that there is a pressure to build homes for the future, adding three hundred houses to one small area and closing the gap between Fishbourne and Bosham is not the way forward. Has any consideration been given to other sites of smaller developments on other pockets of land that will not compromise the beauty, air quality or distinctiveness of the village?

Finally, as a local teacher, I have grave concerns about the idea of relocating the school. It is not the size of the school but the location which worries me. By relocating to the farm, there will be an influx of children having to cross the busy A259. If a child lives in old Bosham, there will be a much longer journey, some of it without pavement and a major road to cross - one the will be potentially much busier, due to the three hundred new homes. You may suggest that lights, a crossing patrol or a zebra crossing are the answer here but these will just add to the congestion and air pollution. Also what will become of the building of the current school - more houses?

There is considerable opposition to this development in the area and I think it would be shortsighted to develop on farmland without considering smaller areas of brownfield land that could be developed.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email and I hope you consider this development and choose to stop it from happening.