We have major concerns about the effect the Spindlewood site and any other associated developments in Little Common would have on Barnhorn Road (A259) as well as the associated traffic entering the Little Common Roundabout from Cooden Sea Road. Having looked through the traffic survey completed in April 2015 it is clear that this survey and the predictions have little bearing on the current situation. The Council should consider sites in the area of the North Bexhill Access road which would allow far more options and diffuse travel in the direction of Battle Ninfield and Hastings. (see site BX124 option3). At the very least delay decisions until the effect of Barnhorn Green on Barnhorn Road is known.

We understand the need for more housing, but the council need to look at the issues relating to the A259 (Barnhorn Road) and the ability of people to access the town from the west. This relates to both private and commercial vehicles and is important for the economy of the town. Little Common is already reaching severe problems with the amount of traffic and to attract commerce and industry to the town we need easy communication links on our main routes of which the A259 is a major link from the west, London and the north. We understand from recent figures from Highways England that congestion levels around Little Common roundabout and along Barnhorn Road are close to the maximum capacity levels that were predicted for 2028, and this is before any development takes place.

The effect of the Barnhorn Green development has yet to be seen with the new junction near the Greyhorses flats and the much needed pedestrian crossing near Kites Nest Walk. The suggested potential access to Barnhorn Road from Spindlewood would sit very closely between these and in our view cause a dangerous and chaotic situation particularly so close to the bend.

We have lived on Barnhorn Road since 1988 and have experienced the road getting steadily busier with some congestion during morning and evening rush hours.

Since the Link road opened the situation has worsened very quickly against all predictions in the traffic survey and without any new development. The congestion often tails back to Barnhorn Hill and beyond at peak times from the west and there are continual queues many times of day during the week. This congestion is often reported on the Radio Sussex traffic news and makes access to our own house very difficult.

Recent example: (Monday 30th January 2017)
11.30am The traffic jam started at the top of Barnhorn Hill from the west to The Little Common roundabout.
1.30pm Temporary traffic lights set up by BT opposite the proposed junction for Barnhorn Green. This gave a good indication of the effect on traffic from the east.
Forty cars were counted from outside our house towards Little Common. This did not include those running up to the lights or those out of site in the east. This was not at rush hour time as this would probably have backed up on Little Common Road.
2,30pm The queue from the west stretched as far as Ashridge Nursing Home.

None of these times were during the morning and evening peaks

The sites BX115 and BX108 could easily be seen as future developments of Spindlewood (BX116) and create a further load on the junctions on Barnhorn Road.

We are concerned that the levels of pollution may have increased substantially and that a new pollution survey should be commissioned to assess the current health hazards to residents and those walking and driving along Barnhorn Road (including many families walking to school).

I believe the government's directive says that local authorities should look at brownfield sites for developments first. We are also wondering where all these people are coming from to live in these new houses and where are they going to work particularly if we cannot attract new industry to the town due to difficult road communications.

We would also like to make a comment on the consultation process which we feel unduly complicated and we doubt that many people would even attempt to take part. The advertising we have seen does not indicate the impact that these decisions will have on people's everyday lives in all parts of the town.