LETTER: More of us need to ask questions

The more I read about our local council it appears they have no sense of realism or wish to connect with the residents who pay their salaries. There are numerous occasions where residents have made comments, suggestions or requests and for some unexplained reasons they are all ignored. A few recent examples follow.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Sep 2016, 13:00 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:54 BST

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On page 2 in the WSCT, Horsham edition, September 1st, the Planning Inspector R.J.Jackson reviewing the proposal to build a new petrol station off the A264 stated that the strategic gap between Horsham and Crawley no longer applied since the adoption of the Horsham District Planning Framework. I do not recall this being mentioned at any time during the lengthy Public Consultation, in fact the reverse as the Inspector reviewing at the time stated the strategic Gap was not affected, no doubt based on what he was told by HDC.

Mr Kornycky has on numerous occasions over the years pointed out that the developer-led projects around Horsham are totally against accepted policies and even offered to assist, free of charge, but HDC seem to prefer to use our money to pay outside consultants to tell them what they want to hear. Should North Horsham proceed us taxpayers are going to have to spend many thousands of pounds on infrastructure because HDC seem to agree with the developer that because they are having to spend more money on preparing the ‘site’ their contribution to infrastructure should be reduced to zero. Surely any costs in preparing the site should come out of their profits as they are, according to their latest bit of sales literature, ‘well funded’. The taxpayers should not be burdened with paying for infrastructure.

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HDC are now, for some unexplained reason, unwilling to tell us how much they sold The Rising Universe for yet we paid for it in the first place. They have still not advised who and at what meeting it was agreed to position the item where it was, Cllr Burgess’s letter May 12th., ‘no one is quite sure who authorised (the RU) to be placed in such a prominent part of town’ which I queried 22nd May but have had no response.

HDC tried to make obtaining FOI details more difficult but thanks to the persistence of Dr. Richardson this has been overruled by The Information Commissioners Office so maybe more of us should request Freedom of Information for the matters we are not happy about. This would obviously be unnecessary were HDC more open and transparent with the matters that affect all of us.

If we are really concerned about what is happening to our town more of us need to question HDC and if they will not respond put in FOI requests to show we mean business and want our town managed democratically in a transparent and open way.

Eduardo Delgado

Parry Close, Horsham

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Related topics:HDCNorth HorshamCrawley