The residents of Hurst Avenue, Horsham, took their campaign to councillors last Wednesday in the hope they would change the part of a planning document which affects them.
In the Horsham Town Plan Supplementary Planning Document, the council document now adopted as a vision for the town, says “small amounts of employments land could be released to enabled an extension to the existing residential areas of Hurst Avenue, Hurst Court and Gladstone Road”.
Resident David Barr asked members why this land was highlighted as potential residential land when it was not included in the most recent Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.
David Holmes (LDem, Horsham Park) said: “Nightingale Road and Hurst Road are my ward. Access through Hurst Avenue is unacceptable and I would hope that’s a concern that is considered at the right time and right place.”
He added that he welcomed the document as a whole and it would give the council a means of controlling future development.
Cabinet member for living and working communities Ian Howard tried to assure Mr Barr and others with similar concerns.
He said “This is not a specified timetable. It’s a starting point for more detailed planning.”
He added that there would be protection for residents in areas next to a potential industrial, educational or residential development site and said the document set out what could happen, not what is planned for the future.