The current plans under consideration for BEX9 (Spindlewood) and being considered by RDC under planning application RR/2017/1705/P include vehicular access from both Barnhorn Road (A259) at the entrance to Barnhorn Manor and from Spindlewood Drive.

Such dual access invites an immediate "rat run" situation for traffic heading North along Cooden Sea Road and wishing to go west towards Eastbourne via the A259 and vice versa. The Applicant for the development site has suggested mitigation measures to counteract this situation by proposing a more tortuous route through the development site and signs at the right hand turn out of Spindlewood Drive into Maple Walk indicating that this is an un-adopted road.

These proposals are laughable and will have no impact on driver behaviour whatsoever.

Drivers will seek whatever route they deem most attractive to them to reduce their journey times and to most drivers avoiding Cooden Sea Road and the Little Common roundabout in the am peak and Barnhorn Road and the Little Common roundabout at the pm peak will be too enticing to ignore.

This rat run will thus cause immense problems along Maple Walk in particular especially the section between Antrona Close and Old Harrier Close (c 100 mtrs) that is a single track road with no pavements. Pedestrians and cyclists will be at great risk and there must be the real possibilities of serious accidents along this stretch of road. This road was never intended for high volumes of traffic and is an un-adopted road with serious implications for the local residents to have to pay for any upgrades to its surface as a result of the vastly increased traffic flows that will result from the rat running traffic. I estimate that Maple Walk and Maple Avenue (both un-adopted) will see traffic flows of between 600-1000 vehicles per week day).

Further problems will ensue at the entrance/exit onto Barnhorn Road via the existing Barnhorn Manor drive. This road is too narrow to provide a satisfactory turning point onto a major trunk road (although Highways England say that they are prepared to "relax their rules in this case").

Furthermore, no regard has been given to the approx. 12 properties that will be adjacent to the ghost lane that will be provided for traffic wishing to turn right into the new estate. Occupants of these properties will be put at considerable risk if they wish to turn across the ghost lane either entering or leaving their properties.