1,200 Billingshurst homes plan: A pity that the MP is not at meetings

The Government says thousands more homes will have to be built in the Horsham area over the next 20 years SUS-200122-105110001

A meeting was held in Billingshurst recently, where representatives of Bellway Homes and Crest Strategic Projects put forward their proposals for the further development of the east of Billingshurst, in total 1,200 new homes.

These proposals were already familiar in outline to the local residents, having been published in this paper previously, but the opportunity to quiz the developers was useful, enlightening and interesting.

At least 19,300 homes must be built in Horsham over the next 20 years - according to the Government

It is a great pity that, the Government having been blamed by Horsham District Council for this housing requirement, our elected representative and MP, Jeremy Quin, can never find the time to attend these meetings, although he frequently seems to have time to visit local primary schools.

Perhaps like his predecessor, Francis Maude, he will keep his head down and avoid anything contentious until his peerage comes along, particularly when it comes to anything involving some of the largest donors to the Tory Party.

I can assure Mr Quin, that most of the residents of this village are against any further development.

We have only recently got rid of temporary traffic lights that have caused severe disruption to the village for more than two years, our roads continue to be filthy from the present building works and, of course, potholed, our schools are full, even with the new teaching block at The Weald, paid for by the taxpayer not the millionaire or should that be billionaire housebuilders, our doctors surgery is overwhelmed, the roads around the station are dangerously packed with commuters cars, the Environment Agency has suggested that by 2025, the water companies will be unable to supply enough water and drainage is already a serious problem, so much so that local residents who have recently constructed home extensions have been required by HDC to instal soakaways.

Conversely, it is difficult to see what benefits the locals will gain from these new houses with the exception, of course, the takeaways, estate agents and hairdressers.

So Mr Quin, it would be nice if you could find the time to visit your constituents in Billingshurst and explain why we should suffer all this development.