I object to Policy BEX9 (land off Spindlewood Drive). The policy should be amended to include a much smaller developable area and far fewer dwellings, with access off
Barnhorn road.

The infrastructure in Little Common is inadequate for development on the scale
proposed.

The proposed development is too dense and would be likely to exacerbate flooding in
the Cole Stream affecting the SSSI on the Pevensey Levels.

The proposed number of dwellings is also too large for access to be obtained from
Meads Road. The carriageway of Meads Road is only 5.4 metres wide at its northern
end between Meads Avenue and Cooden Sea road. Taking into account existing
residential and visitor parking the free road width is in many places reduced to
3.4 metres. Over the majority of Meads Road traffic has to adopt an informal alternate direction of traffic flow as the only way for traffic to pass. Even with parking completely banned on both sides of Meads Road, the width would be insufficient. The scale of the proposed development requires a direct vehicular access off the main road network which in this case can only be provided off Barnhorn Road. Barnhorn Road should be the principal access for vehicles, the access off Spindlewood Drive should be for pedestrians and cycles only.

In the Core Strategy Rother District Council also says that further development west of Little Common roundabout should have its principle access off Barnhorn Road.
The proposed access off Spindlewood Drive is inadequate and dangerous in that sight lines from this access would not be adequate. It is also highly unlikely that refuse vehicles in excess of 10 metres in length could safely use such an access.

If the principal highway access was from Spindlewood Drive there is a considerable risk that traffic from the development would seek to access the main road network using Maple Walk southwards as an alternative to Meads Road. Maple Walk to the south of Spindlewood Drive is extremely narrow with a roadway of no more than 3.4 metres total width and an informal alternate direction of traffic flow is the only way for traffic to pass. Also there is no footway and the roadway has to accommodate pedestrians as well as vehicles and this causes hazard to pedestrians.

In the Council's own words the land off Spindlewood Drive is one of two significant areas of residential expansion and is the second largest expansion in the Local Plan. As such the proposed Development would require a much more extensive Transport
Assessment than merely stating that according to the Local Highway authority the local roads could accept the traffic associated with the development.

A wide-ranging transport assessment including the effect on Cooden Sea Road and its feeder roads and the effect on Little Common roundabout and Barnhorn Road should be included. Barnhorn Road carries the A259 Truck road traffic. The Bexhill to Hastings Link Road has already caused a huge increase in traffic onto the Little Common roundabout and there is considerable congestion there with queues of more than 1 Km in peak hours. This is already occurring in 2016/17 before the new housing at Barnhorn Green or Spindlewood Drive is developed.

It is quite clear that irrespective of the Spindlewood drive development a Little Common bypass is necessary. Infrastructure should proceed in step with development.