Safety concern

Planning permission has been granted for nine new houses and that I haven't got a problem with '“ it's the proposed access to the new properties that worries me.

West Sussex County Council's highways department seems to have sanctioned the access road coming out on to Warren Road just yards from the Offington roundabout.

Purely from a safety angle, I cannot understand how the council, an organisation that lives and breathes the words "health and safety", is prepared to have cars pulling out onto a major road with such limited visibility.

If that isn't bad enough, the aforementioned local residents, aided by ward councillor Reg Green, have presented an almost watertight case highlighting the potential road safety hazard, yet up to now, some of the council bods still seem to be adopting the stance of an ostrich.

As the residents and councillor Green have pointed out, the access road could be built to come out round the back of the flats, Fontwell Court, which would present no real road safety concerns.

Or is it going to take a serious, perhaps even fatal accident, before someone on the council admits they made a mistake?

It will mark the end of an era this summer when the traditional Rotary carnival procession moves from the August Bank Holiday Monday to the first Sunday in August.

Obviously, there is some logic behind the move, but on a personal note, as someone who grew up with the delights of the Rotarama, I'm not sure a Sunday parade will have the same gravitas.

But then again, I've got the words "creature of habit" printed in my passport, maybe a change of day will rejuvenate the event with the general public?

One thing's for sure, whenever it is, the respective Rotary clubs of the town will be doing as they do every year and working round the clock to raise money for many worthy local causes.

On the subject of worthy causes, despite her bad press from certain sections of the media, Heather Mills, formerly McCartney, certainly proved she wasn't as bad as some would have you believe, when she auctioned off two of her VIP tickets for Sunday's Dancing On Ice final for 650 in aid of Chestnut Tree House children's hospice.

And finally, help or even just clarification required from older readers, please.

Chatting with friends the other night about times gone by in Worthing, we got onto the subject of pubs in the Montague Street precinct.

One of my "older" comrades claimed there used to be eight between The Royal Arcade and Scadgells.

I, myself, a mere slip of a lad at 45, can only remember in my adult life three, The White Hart, The Buckingham and The Victoria, although as a young lad I seem to recall walking past the Spaniard (now where Boots is), but where were the other four?

Any answers will be gratefully received...

Ian Hart's comment is published in the Herald series every Thursday

-------------------------------------

Click here to go back to Harty on the news.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: [email protected]

Click here for the Herald staff directory.

Want to read this page in French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu or 48 other languages? click here for Google translate.