FISHBOURNE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN - THE CURRENT SITUATION
INCLUDING BETHWINES FARM IN PARTICULAR.

THE PLANNERS HAVE A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT LAND FOR THE FUTURE.
IT CANNOT BE MORALLY CORRECT TO DESTROY SUCH A NATIONAL ASSET

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE LIVE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES GLOBALLY.
WE SHOULD, THEREFORE, BE EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT SELF SUFFICIENCY
WITH REGARD TO FOOD PRODUCTION IS NOW AROUND 50% IN THE UK AND ALREADY IN DECLINE.
THE UK IMPORTS MORE FOREIGN FOOD NOW THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE PAST FIVE DECADES!

CLEARLY, THE PROPOSAL TO USE BETHWINES FARM IN FISHBOURNE VILLAGE AS A FUTURE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS UNACCEPTABLE. LOSING HIGH QUALITY, PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND WHICH IS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR ARABLE AND VEGETABLE CROPS WOULD BE A TRAVESTY.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (JAMES BROKENSHIRE MP) HAS SAID THE PLANNING POLICIES SHOULD "INCLUDE THE ECONOMIC AND OTHER BENEFITS OF THE BEST AND MOST VERSATILE AGRICULTURAL LAND"

THIS NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE PRESENT POPULATION BUT GENERATIONS TO COME. WE OWE IT TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. ONCE LAND IS LOST THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

THE INCREASING SIZE OF VILLAGES AND SMALL TOWNS ALONG THE A259, WHERE MORE AND MORE DEVELOPMENTS MOVING INTO FIELDS WHICH USED TO DEFINE OUR AREA AS RURAL, ARE DESTROYING THE WHOLE NATURE OF THE AREA. VALUED LANDSCAPES SHOULD BE PROTECTED.
BOUNDARIES HAVE NOW BECOME INCREASINGLY MOVEABLE AND THIS RISKS CREATING FISHBOURNE AND OTHER VILLAGES AS A POTENTIAL CONURBATION OF CHICHESTER. WE DO NOT WANT THIS. EQUALLY, WE WISH TO BE SEPARATED FROM BOSHAM.

THE PLANNERS SHOULD SEEK OUT DEVELOPMENT SITES WHICH DO NOT IRREVOCABLY CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE.
WE ARE CONVINCED THIS SHOULD BE POSSIBLE.

THE SERVICE INDUSTRY FOR THE FISHBOURNE AREA IS AT SATURATION POINT.
FOR EXAMPLE ,IT TAKES 5/6 WEEKS TO GET A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS OURSELVES ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.

CLIMATE CHANGE HAS INDICATED THAT WE CAN EXPECT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RAINFALL. WE ALREADY STRUGGLE WITH FLOODING AT TIMES.
MORE LAND COVERED BY CONCRETE CANNOT DO ANYTHING BUT MAKE MATTERS WORSE.

INEVITABLY, THERE WILL BE HUNDREDS MORE CARS WHICH WILL MAKE THE LANES IN FISHBOURNE EVEN MORE SATURATED AND CERTAINLY MORE DANGEROUS AND POLLUTED.

ANY DEVELOPMENT MUST HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE BEFORE ANY HOUSE BUILDING COMMENCES. THE DEVELOPERS SHOULD MEET THE WHOLE COST OF THIS AS THEY ARE THE MONETARY BENEFICIARIES. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MANY "ROADS" IN THE AREA ARE,IN FACT,"LANES" AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.

MAY I REFER YOU TO THE NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK (2028) IN WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE (JAMES BROKENSHIRE MP) SAYS "WE WANT THE RIGHT NUMBER OF HOMES BUILT IN THE RIGHT PLACES. CENTRAL TO THIS IS THE VOICE OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DETERMINE NOT ONLY THE RIGHT NUMBER OF HOMES FOR THEIR AREA, BUT HOW THEY FIT IN".

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THESE POINTS BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AS WE DO NOT WISH TO SEE THE CHARACTER OF THE WHOLE AREA DESTROYED.



The proposed imposition of 250 new homes to be built on land in Fishbourne is yet another push to turn our village into a dormitory town.

The school is oversubscribed already and doctor's appointments are taking 5/6 weeks to obtain NOW!

Added to this, we do not have a shop or post office and the local bus service is under threat. I don't think this describes a "Service Village".

Bethwines Farm is Grade 11 Agricultural Land. Can Planners really advocate losing such valuable and productive land forever? Why would anyone
advocate building on green sites? We simply cannot afford to keep using agricultural land in such a cavalier manner. Where will the food be produced
when the land has been taken? We import around 50% of our Country's food needs already and this figure is rising. We are very vulnerable in this
respect. Planners should seriously take into account the recent history of our Island and see what happens when the imported food supply is disrupted!!
Our population continues to grow. People have to be fed.

Apart from the productive value of the land , it provides a wonderful area for wildlife including bats, red kites , green woodpeckers
gold crests and may other species. The field borders provide sanctuary for small mammals etc.

The proposals , as we see them, constitute a complete change of character of the area. There seems to be little regard for flood plains, road
congestion and the like. Hundreds more cars, not only from Fishbourne but all along the A259. Fishbourne Lanes will be used even more as rat runs
because of the build-up to the Fishbourne roundabout.

The Consultation at Fishbourne Centre from 1 - 6 pm on 16th January was intended to be helpful. However, there was no allowance made
for those who were at work to participate! Looking at Consultation documents on the net does not provide the same opportunity to discuss
any points of concern.

It seems the recent case of the death of a 9 year old girl from asthma could be linked to unlawful levels of pollution.
The Attorney-General has heard new evidence on this matter and permission has been given for an application
for a new inquest into her death. It seems this young girl died in 2013 following 3 years of seizures due to living close to roads with high levels of pollution.

One of the grounds for calling a fresh inquest was that permitting illegal levels of pollution was a breach of human rights under Article 2 of the European Convention
of Human Rights which protects the right to life. Everyone in the area knows that Fishbourne Roundabout is to be avoided and/or feared. The levels of pollution
this causes in the area are of great concern not to mention adjacent roads where traffic queues to get over the roundabout.

Just the other day we visited a village in Surrey where we used to live. The area has been developed to the extent that it is barely recognisable and is, quite frankly, a mess. It is now a suburb of Greater London and it looks it!!! We certainly do not want this to happen to Fishbourne and to become consumed in the same way.

Not everyone is able contact you about their concerns but I know I speak for many people in the area who are truly shocked at the proposals not least
because Fishbourne has more than met its obligations so ably in the past.

I trust that putting our genuine concerns before you will not have been a complete waste of time.