I wish to object to the plan for a minimum of 350 additional dwellings in East Wittering Parish.
I understand the need for additional housing provision. However there are a number of issues with this proposal:
1. The chronic traffic congestion on the peninsula in the summer months.
The proposed Stockbridge link road from the Fishbourne roundabout on the A27 to the A286 Birdham Road (policy AL6) will do nothing to solve the traffic congestion on the peninsula, during the rush hours throughout the year, especially in the mornings when traffic queues back up along the A286 to get onto the A27, and in the summer when a large volume of vehicles carrying day visitors to and from West Wittering beach leads to traffic queues along the length of the A286. The link road will only shift the traffic congestion on the peninsula, not help to reduce it or manage it better.

2. The lack of employment opportunities within the immediate area necessitating residents to travel into Chichester and beyond for work, adding to the traffic congestion.
There are very few employment opportunities in East Wittering and Bracklesham. This means that additional housing will lead to more vehicle journeys up to the A27 as new residents travel to work outside the area.

3. The lack of facilities in Bracklesham and the loss of facilities in East Wittering village.
Bracklesham is currently without a Post Office. It has one general store. There is no pharmacy or GP surgery.
East Wittering has now lost all its bank branches, together with the cashpoints they provided. There is only one cashpoint (outside Tesco) that is available 24/7. For banking, local residents, visitors and businesses either have to use the Post Office, or travel into Chichester. In a survey of local issues that I conducted in East Wittering and Bracklesham for the Liberal Democrats (but
please note that I am making this submission in my capacity as a private individual) at the end of 2018 (with close to 2000 copies distributed), the top concern was the closure of the banks in East Wittering and the lack of enough cashpoints. We have not yet had a summer season since the last bank (Lloyds) closed. The summer sees a huge influx of visitors staying in the caravan and camping sites and holiday rental properties and second homes in the area. There is still a high demand for cash in the local economy.
As residents have to travel to Chichester to go to their bank, it is likely they will do their shopping there as well or online instead of in East Wittering village.
More senior residents may not be able to or want to do online banking or shopping and will be disadvantaged if local facilities decline further due to this move to use facilities in Chichester instead. There are no practical ideas in the plan to halt this decline in local facilities. This should be an integral part of any plan to put in additional housing in the area.

4.The scarcity of public transport in the evenings and the cost.
The scarcity of buses in the evening and at weekends already leads to more vehicle journeys. It is also isolating for local residents who do not have cars. The cost of bus transport for those who do not have free bus passes is more than the cost of driving into Chichester and parking so this only encourages more car journeys.