I do not agree with the requirements of Policy BEX9.

The proposed development off Spindlewood Drive should be deleted from the preferred list of sites as it is on the south side of Little Common and offers no direct access to the A259. Meads Road in Bexhill is quiet residential street approximately 400 metres long and 6m wide. Because the parking situation in Little Common is so bad this road is used regularly during the day by non-residents for long term parking and means that the road is then effectively a single carriageway with one or two passing places. The best model to choose when estimating its capacity is that of a rural lane with passing places. Studies show that roads of this type have a capacity between 100 and 300 vehicles per hour.

Meads Road serves the residents of that road, those of Spindlewood Close and it spurs and the private road Maple Walk. Currently this is approximately 172 dwellings (according to the Council Tax numbers) and generates 860 vehicle movements per day (using ESCC Transport Dept recommended figures) and 86 in the peak hour.

The proposed development of a further 160 dwellings off Spindlewood Drive will generate an additional 800 vehicle movements per day and 80 in the peak hour. Hence peak hour traffic is expected to rise to at least 166 vehicles per hour. The full traffic is assumed to use Meads Road as it is manifestly unreasonable to expect the householders who maintain Maple Walk to pay for the extra damage caused by so many vehicles belonging to people who do not contribute to the road upkeep. The junction of Meads Road and Cooden Sea Road is particularly hazardous with traffic
emerging from Meads road having a very restricted view of northbound traffic on Cooden Sea Road.

In addition, there may need to be considerable expenditure to mitigate the impact on the local services, specifically the sewage system that already has an unusual system of tanks designed to combat the effects of, inter alia, the local water
table that is very close to the surface. No mention has been made of the capability of other public services such as schools, the pharmacy and medical and dental practices to be able to absorb a further 160 households on top of the (275 agreed +67 proposed) for Barnhorn Green.

This would be one of the larger new sites and have an adverse impact on the local environment flora and fauna and existing housing both in terms of property values and character of this area of Little Common.

There are other locations north of Bexhill that have ample capacity to take this quantity of houses such as BX101, BX124 and even BX80. Both BX101 and BX124 could absorb the proposed 160 dwellings. The Sustainability Appraisal eliminated site BX80. However, some of the assessment decisions and weightings could be queried as many of the target criteria (eg 1-8, 11 & 16) apply equally to all new developments and other choices appear to be somewhat arbitrary.