LETTER: Negative impact of Sussex new town

The area being proposed is a greenfield site which is partly on a flood plain. Over the last few years this area has seen significant flooding. Any development is likely to increase the flow of waste water into the river which will cause increased flooding downstream.

We already see frequent floods at the bridge between Shermanbury and Henfield and the road has been closed to flooding on a number of occasions and local properties threatened.

The services in the area are poor in terms of transport, specifically it is not on a railway line and has little or no existing infrastructure. The nearest rail service, seven miles away, is already at capacity.

I have seen claims from Mayfield that the settlement would be self-contained but it would quickly become a commuter town causing terrible congestion on the small roads around the area and a significant level of pollution.

What I find most upsetting is that historic local villages like Twineham and Wineham, which date back to Anglo Saxon times, would be wiped out.

There would inevitably be impact on the neighbouring villages such as Henfield and Cowfold which are already very busy with traffic and additional residents from the developments of the last few years.

I know that there are enough brownfield sites in the UK to build one and half million homes which makes this proposal for greenfield development even more difficult to defend.

In view of the facts that weigh against this proposed development and the considerable resistance from the local community and councillors, I hope that our voice will be heard and this development will be prevented.

D. MATHIESON

Brighton Road, Shermanbury