Representation by Morrison (Morrison)
- Date submitted
- 3 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am writing to object to the proposal to site the proposed sub station at Oakendene A272/Kent Street and the proposed link to Bolney Sub station on Wineham Lane I think the scheme is poorly planned with no local consultation and the applicant refuses to engage with local residents in any meaningful or constructive manner. Overall the damage to the local environment and amenity will be catastrophic. My main concerns are as follows. Kent Street- I have lived here for more than 30 years. The Road is single track and runs from the A272 to Wineham lane. It has a 6ft 6 ins restricted access for residents only. It is impossible for 2 cars to pass each other safely and the residents just about manage by reversing or pulling into passing places which are deeply potholed, This just about works because the lane is quiet. The last traffic management showed about 8 cars an hour and an average speed of below 30 mph. The applicants submission shows thousands of HGV /LGV journeys down the lane and 4 cable routes across Kent street. This could be over a 4/5 year time frame. A typical HGV is about 8ft wide so i have no idea how this could cope on such a narrow road if it meets local traffic. In 2006 HDC turned down an application for a wedding venue on restricted days and numbers because the lane could not cope with additional Traffic. The applicants proposal is many times worse than this and the lane will become virtually impassable. A further consideration is the junction of Kent Street with the A272 which is a notorious traffic Black spot and has been the source of many bad accidents over the years. With a huge increase in heavy traffic trying to get on to the A272 it will only get worse.The applicants proposals will turn a quiet country lane enjoyed by dog walkers,cyclists,joggers and horse riders into a traffic log jam with residents unable to get to their houses and emergency services unable to get to patients. The Site - If this scheme is to be built there is no doubt that the Oakendene Site is the wrong place for it, There were 2 other proposals next to the existing Bolney Substation which are far better serviced. There has been no explanation as to the reason for this as far as i can make out. Oakendene is wrong because it will cause chaos in Kent Street but also on the busy A272 where rush hour traffic already backs up trying to get into Cowfold. The scheme will harm the unique natural environment with the destruction of trees ancient hedges and the Wildlife that lives in them, It is hard to believe that a "green " project is not far more mindful of the destruction of this beautiful mature environment. Residential Visual amenity- You cannot get over the fact that the proposed scheme will be hideous to look at . The Bolney sub station is the same. No amount of landscaping is going to disguise the building and far more houses will be affected than set out in the amenity report. Nearly all the affected houses the developer says will have very little loss of amenity at the end of the scheme. I dont accept that as being true. What is being proposed is a huge blot on the landscape and it should be situated next to the current blot on Wineham Lane.