Please consider wheelchair access at all times and wheelchair accessible toilets on all high streets and all beach front areas.
Right now it's terrible in Bexhill where I live to access a toilet.
Most shops have steps to get in and most bars and restaurants do not ha e a toilet.
Plus blue badge parking is sooo much worse than it was in 1994
Everyone has a badge and everyone is walking
I use a wheelchair and I am paralysed for 30 years.
I feel excluded from society in 2024

Firstly, my congratulations on the clarity and thoroughness of the planning process and the presentation at the exhibition(s).

While I appreciate that you are still at the general planning stages, I believe it is important to include consideration of the following:

1) Infrastructure: (Completion of the link between Queensway and the A21 in St Leonards is essential to support the attraction of potential businesses to the proposed industrial units). The utilities seem to struggle to support the with existing demand e.g. water storage and supply, mobile signal coverage, EV charging etc. Can these be fixed before adding to the burden?

2) Roads: Experience from when the link road was under construction shows that alternative routes receive a punishing load from diverted traffic for which, judging by the damage caused, they were not constructed. No attempt has been made to repair the damage which ought to be part of the overall planning (e.g. Woodsgate Park while the Sidley bridge was rebuilt). Such damage mitigates against the plans for greater use of bicycle transport for instance.

3) Housing density: I understand that the underprovision of parking spaces is deliberate to try to force people to use public transport instead. This does, however, lead to increased use/need to park cars on the roads and pavements hindering pedestrians and those with disabilities, and adding to the sense of claustrophobia caused by the higher density housing - hardly contributing to well-being.

4) Types of accommodation: It is to be hoped that the eventual granting of planning permissions will include the need to include climate friendly elements such as photo-electric roofing on all new builds, subterranean tanks for brown water storage to alleviate rainwater runoff and pressure on the pumped mains water.

5) Need for affordable housing: What is the cause of the pressure? Can we ensure that any such dwellings are used for local people and not swallowed up by private landlords, 2nd home owners or more distant local authorities to fulfil their own housing shortfalls?

6) Location of proposed schools and medical units: Again, this probably belongs further down the line of the planning permissions but, for the former, the safe delivery and collection of students needs to be built into the infrastructure. For the latter, the demographics need to be taken into account. With a significantly high proportion of elderly residents, access to any medical units needs to be on the level, i.e. without steep ramps or steps to negotiate. The Cooden Sea Road surgery fails on both these aspects and parking for the disabled or mobility impaired is also notable by its absence - most parking spaces are taken up by long stay blockers (staff? local shop workers? residents?).

Please see attached representation.

Please see attached the full response from Etchingham Parish Council regarding the draft Local Plan.

Please see attached the full response from Etchingham Parish Council regarding the draft Local Plan.

Please see attached the full response from Etchingham Parish Council regarding the draft Local Plan.

Please see attached submitted document for full comments.

Please see attached submitted document for full comments.

Please see attached submitted document for full comments.

Please see attached document for comments on the following issues:

1. General environment:
- Better maintenance of verges and flower beds in Bexhill, including along the sea front.
- Council should get involved in the sewage discharge issue.
- Extend promenade along to Cooden and Pevensey.
- More public toilets required.

2. Housing / NHS
- Development should use brownfield sites over greenfield sites.
- Development should not be built on flood areas.
- No residential development without doctors, dentists and schools.
- Work with NHS in promoting walk in facilities ot take pressure of A&E.

3. Parking
- More free spaces for those that want to pop in to Bexhill for a short time. Also larger spaces e.g. 4 hours there are not enough. Why charge on the seafront - this does not encourage visitors and does not help local businesses.

4. Town businesses
- There are too many empty shops. Is this because the rent is too high? DO something to encourage young business starters, get the shops full so Bexhill is an interesting and different shopping centre to come to.

5. Fitness facilities
- Ravenside swimming pool needs a refurbishment. It is used so much to help local people's fitness. For weeks the showers were not working but we still had to pay to swim full price. An outside lido would be such a great addition to the town and would draw people here. Is there funding out there for this?

6. There are many positives that must be mentioned:
- Lots of historical things manly run by Bexhill Museum and Bexhill heritage. Keep and develop these groups.
- Lots of fitness activities for older people. This is great and needs extending.
- De La Warr provides a fantastic point for visitors and provides art and music for local s and visitors from afar.
- Good transport. Trains, local buses and free town bus.
- The beach is looked after well, bins emptied regularly, etc. This is great for residents and visitors.

Generally this is a great place to live but there are things to do. The most important thing is to develop the economy, encourage more visitors to come here to spend money.