I disagree strongly with development of any of the sites which would affect Little Common; specifically, they are the Spindlewood Drive development proposal (BEX09/BX116) and BX101 (Northeye) because the Little Common area of Bexhill already has inadequate infrastructure.

These inadequacies will soon become even more obvious with the traffic disruptions aggravated by the Barnhorn Green development north of Barnhorn Road, with access close to Greyhorses bend. Little Common has further residential developments 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.

Before considering ANY new development a proper viable strategy must be developed and committed to by Rother DC, which addresses at least the following points:

Main road inadequacy - most days now eastbound traffic on the A259 is stationary several times each day from Little Common Roundabout, back at least to the fuel station at the end of Coneyburrow Lane, creating delays of typically 15 minutes. the A259 is already close to capacity with 900 vehicles per hour in both directions throughout the day and the situation will be exacerbated by the installation of traffic lights at the entrance to Barnhorn Green, the zebra crossing to be installed at Kite Nests Walk, and in due course by the additional traffic generated by the residents of Barnhorn Green.

Increased traffic for travel to work, as there are few new employment opportunities in Little Common.

Increased traffic for travel to go shopping, as the shops in Little Common are at best rudimentary.

Increased air pollution and noise - because of the increased traffic, harmful to the environment and will generate additional noise and air pollution especially around the A259.

Additional School capacity for the new children who would live in the area.

Additional Medical facilities - Little Common Surgery has little capacity for new patients.

Free or affordable off-road car parking - most residential roads, and several urban through routes such as Collington Avenue and Birkdale, the Golf Club end of Cooden Sea Road, are reduced in width by parked vehicles almost permanently. The minor roads close to Little Common are heavily parked during the working day by people who work in the village; this has increased noticeably since parking charges were applied in the only off-road car park.

Little Common's current infrastructure will not cope with additional large numbers of properties and people. Any further large scale residential developments in or around Little Common will create a state of crisis and must therefore not be permitted.

More Suitable Sites

There are far more appropriate sites to develop than the properties proposed for Spindlewood Drive (BEX09/BX116) and Northeye (BX101).

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 infrastructure benefits of BX124 include

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.

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.

2 GP surgeries are within easy reach at Bexhill old town and Sidley

Good shopping facilities are provided and easily accessed at Ravenside, St Leonards and Hastings.

A 24 hour pharmacy is provided at Ravenside and Tesco Extra at St Leonards is also available for long periods.

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).

Car access to all local areas is readily available via the NBAR and Coombe Valley Way and without needing to access the A259.

The A21 and the Conquest Hospital are just a few minutes' drive away.

A second but far less suitable site than BX124 would be BX101 (Northeye). This is a brownfield site so should be preferred over any greenfield site.

As already explained, this option would greatly aggravate the pressures on Little Common's infrastructure, including the A259.

Errors of omission by RDC mean that there is no need to include the Spindlewood Drive site, nor some of the others in the current DaSA plan/proposals

I must now insist that the bases upon which RDC proposes the Spindlewood site BEX09/BX116 as a Preferred Site. are ill-founded, and that there is absolutely no need to include BEX09/BX116 in the DaSA plans/proposals.

Some simple studies of RDC's records by a group of neighbours - whose integrity and findings I support - has shown that the Spindlewood Site development proposal (and others around Little Common) is superfluous.

Each and every year over the past 10 years, RDC has approved an average of 70 small development applications, which has allowed Bexhill to expand at a manageable rate, without crises or critical infrastructure problems. In the next 11 years there is every reason to epect these 'windfall' increases to continue, resulting in a further 770 homes across Bexhill, irrespective of any resulting from the DaSA processes.

I understand that RDC has stated that it is not willing to take projected small windfall properties into account when estimating their target figure of 3100 for Bexhill. This is illogical, and morally wrong. It amounts to ignoring information which they cannot be bothered to consider, which, if they did ignore would be incompetent. If only half the likely windfall numbers WERE taken into account, RDC could still avoid the 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.

By acting wisely, RDC could avoid making such errors from which peoples' lives and quality of life would be irrevocably damaged. That unnecessary consequence would be both tragic and unforgivable.

This further information explains with more detail, my point - and probably the same point as is being presented by other residents.

Using the figures contained in RDC's Housing Land Supply document dated as at 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, it is estimated 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

BEX6 - Turkey Road
BEX7 - Fryatt's Way
BEX9 - Spindlewood Drive
BX101 - Northeye

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