The sun is out, bank holiday weekends are back, and many residents will have their peace disturbed by anti-social road users. Improving road safety and reducing the impact of anti-social drivers is one of my top priorities as your Member of Parliament. I meet regularly with the local police leadership and Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, to raise this matter with them and I am glad that once again Sussex Police’s Operation Downsway is back and live, aimed especially at our rural roads.
However, it is vital that they receive all the information that they need to target the right locations. That’s why I have launched my South Downs Safe Roads survey to hear directly about anti-social hotspots and when and where the nuisance is felt. I will share the results of this survey at my next meeting with Sussex Police. You can respond at www.AndrewGriffith.uk/SafeRoads
This week, I’m urging residents to have their say in Chichester District council’s Local Plan consultation which has recently reopened for a final say. Whilst most of us agree new homes for young people living locally are needed, in rural areas like ours there is careful balance to be struck. The council plans to build 10,000 homes in the district between now and 2038. That could be up to 40,000 more people – it’s simply mad.
I was disappointed to see the dismissal of valid comments made by residents of Loxwood, Plaistow, Kirdford, Ifold and Wisborough Green. Putting – as proposed – 370 homes in these quiet and remote villages makes a complete mockery of the councils’ policy that ‘new development will be in accessible locations linked by high quality active travel, walking and cycle routes that also link to bus stops and, where available, rail stations’. Anyone waiting for public transport in the northern part of the district has a very long wait! Whilst we suffer, it is not right or serious that the government has cut housing targets for big cities such as London.
