1. These comments are submitted as a joint response from the Spindlewood Drive Action Group (SPINDAG) and thus represent the majority views of a large number of local residents (c.400) living in and around the Spindlewood Drive proposed development area.

2. SPINDAG is not opposed to the concept of residential development within the Bexhill area and is conscious of the pressures Rother Council are under to provide a suitable number of properties to meet their target of 3100 by 2028. SPINDAG have taken these imperatives into account when formulating their concerns as stated below.

3. The Spindlewood Drive development proposal (BEX09/BX116) is unsuitable primarily on the grounds of the lack of suitable infrastructure around the Little Common area. This concern does not just apply to BEX9 but also and equally to BX101 (Northeye).

a. Little Common has insufficient infrastructure to support further large scale residential developments on top of the other developments that are either currently under way or proposed and which in total could amount to some 465 houses. Current and agreed developments around Little Common include Barnhorn Green (BX120 - 342 properties), the former Nat West Bank in Cooden Sea Road (RR/2015/3103/P - 8 properties), 45/47 Barnhorn Road (RR/2016/2430/P - 8 dwellings); potential developments include land adjacent to Ashridge Court Care Home, Barnhorn Road (BX50 - (RR/2016/3206/P - 31 properties)), the former Co-Op site in Cooden Sea Road (RR/2016/3254/P - 9 properties) and Sidley Sports Ground Glovers Lane (RR/2016/3127/P) - 65 properties.

b. Little Common's current infrastructure simply will not cope with additional large numbers of properties and people. Little Common surgery is already close to capacity, there are no vacancies at Little Common primary school and no local secondary schools. There are little or no prospects of anyone finding jobs around Little Common and good train services are only available at Bexhill town centre, Hastings or Eastbourne. Shopping at Little Common is limited so larger shopping trips will need to take place elsewhere. In addition, the A259 is already close to capacity with 900 vehicles per hour in both directions throughout the day and this situation will be considerably exacerbated by the installation of traffic lights at the entrance to Barnhorn Green, the zebra crossing to be installed at Kite Nests Walk let alone the additional traffic generated by the residents of Barnhorn Green.

c. Due to the lack of suitable infrastructure, virtually all traffic resulting from the above mentioned developments will need to use their cars to go to work, take children to school and go to large shopping centres. This is harmful to the environment and will generate additional noise and air pollution especially around the A259.

d. There are serious car parking issues around Little Common with frequent and blatant breaches of parking laws as people double park or park on double yellow lines.

e. Any further large scale residential developments in or around Little Common will thus tip the local infrastructure into a state of crisis and must not therefore be permitted.

4. More Suitable Sites

a. There are far more appropriate sites to develop the properties proposed for Spindlewood Drive and Northeye. The most appropriate by far would be off the North Bexhill Access Road (NBAR - BEX3) - site ref BX124. Options 2 and/or 3 would be suitable (in addition to Option 1) due to the far better infrastructure availability for the residents and without serious detriment to the environment .

These include
i. Access to local jobs especially BX113 (with access directly off the NBAR) and Enterprise Way. Other job opportunities are also possible at St Leonards, Hastings and Bexhill and can all be accessed easily via Coombe Valley Way.
ii. Easy access to local schools including the newly proposed nursery and junior school in North East Bexhill as well as secondary schools, all accessed via Enterprise Way.
iii. 2 GP surgeries are within easy reach at Bexhill old town and Sidley
iv. Good shopping facilities are provided and easily accessed at Ravenside, St Leonards and Hastings.
v. A 24 hour pharmacy is provided at Ravenside and Tesco Extra at St Leonards is also available for long periods.
vi. Good train services are easily available at Bexhill and St Leonards Warrior Square without having to access the A259 (already running at close to capacity).
vii. Car access to all local areas is readily available via the NBAR and Coombe Valley Way and without needing to access the A259.
viii. The A21 and the Conquest Hospital are just a few minutes' drive away.

b. A second but far less suitable site would be BX101 (Northeye). This is a brownfield site so should be preferred over any greenfield site. The downside to developing this site for residential properties however, is the impact that the additional housing would have on Little Common's infrastructure including the A259.

5. The Spindlewood Site development (and others around Little Common) is superfluous

a. RDC have stated that they are not willing to take projected small windfall properties into account when estimating their target figure of 3100 for Bexhill. This is plainly wrong. RDC have well documented history of an average of 70 small site windfalls per annum being achieved over the past 10 years. There is absolutely no reason to assume that this will not continue until 2028 and the windfalls have no direct bearing or association with the DaSA process and projected development sites. The two issues are separate. An allowance of at least 35-40 windfalls per annum should therefore be incorporated into the DaSA process and projected housing completions. Without taking the windfalls into account, RDC run the real risk of making decisions on development sites that need not be developed (such as BX116) in order for RDC to meet (and perhaps) beat their target of 3100. Consequently peoples' lives and quality of life will be irrevocably damaged forever based on a false premise. That would be both tragic and unforgivable.

b. Using the figures contained in RDC's Housing Land Supply document dated as @ April 2016 and making allowance for projected small and large site windfalls over the period 2016 - 2028 as well as the recently proposed developments in and around Little Common as detailed in 3(a) above, SPINDAG estimate that Bexhill will be able to achieve approximately 3315 properties by the end of 2028. This exceeds by 215 the target set by RDC of 3100 and excludes the following sites
i. BEX6 - Turkey Road
ii. BEX7 - Fryatt's Way
iii. BEX9 - Spindlewood Drive
iv. BX101 - Northeye

c. Consequently, these 4 sites should be removed from the second DaSA consultation process.

6. Conclusion

a. The proposed development off Spindlewood Drive (as well as others shown above) is superfluous and inappropriate and would be highly detrimental to Little Common as a whole.

b. Alternative sites are far more appropriate in terms of access to local infrastructure facilities and minimal environmental damage, especially the NBAR site (BX124)

c. RDC must take small site windfalls into account when estimating the likely numbers of properties to be achieved up to 2028.

d. Spindlewood Drive (BX116) can then be removed from the second DaSA consultation process as it will have become superfluous.