A259 extra traffic fear

The McCarthy And Stone application to build a four storey block with 60 care apartments was refused by Rother District Council but is now going to appeal.

Objectors are worried than unless local people speak up the development will go ahead with repercussions felt throughout Bexhill.

They believe extra traffic in the area will cause problems as far as Hastings and Eastbourne with the added danger of cars pulling out with poor visibility onto an already congested trunk road.

McCarthy and Stone is planning to knock down five houses from 41 to 47 Barnhorn road and put in "tailored care living scheme for the frail elderly including provision of 22 parking spaces, formation of new vehicular access and construction of new road."

Lisa Partridge contacted the Observer to say: "The reason why it is so vitally important that the community gets behind this and involved in writing objection letters is because this facility means there will be 24-hour staff working on site - from carers, caterers, cleaners, doctors and nurses - in three shifts.

"They will be covering 24 hours a day, seven days a week, coming out of single width access on to the A259.

"A problem is that there is only 22 car parking places for 60 flats and all the full time staff plus visitors, everything that is going to be needed to support this facility, with all the coming and going.

"It is estimated there will be two to three hundred movements per day passing through this single width access road onto what is a major trunk road."

Lisa and other neighbours believe cars will be parked along the roadside resulting in poor visibility for anyone wanting to exit their drive onto the road - they claim this will be an added danger because it will be impossible to see vehicles approaching from the bend in the road.

John Vickers described the proposed building as "totally inappropriate".

He said: "It is ludicrous. It is going to affect everybody."

They are concerned that there has been no objection from the Highways Agency, a view shared by Rother's Graham Fifield in his statement to the Inspectorate.

He comments: "The question of access, car parking and delivery is a vexed one. The Highways Agency has simply stated 'no objection'.

"I must say that I find the absence of any recommended highways conditions relating to access construction, visibility splay provision, parking/turning etc, very surprising."

Lisa said: "Rother has acted in my mind responsibly by refusing this application, but I am now appealing to the residents of Bexhill to support the council in this fight against the appeal by McCarthy And Stone by writing letters of objection to the Inspectorate.

"They should send three copies of their letter quoting APP/U1430/A/08/2067117 to - The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/20 (Roger Tucker), Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN."