Cllrs Brown

BH2018/03633 Toads Hole Valley - Additional Information

21 August 2020

Toads Hole Valley is not in my Ward, it is on the edge of the adjoining Ward, but it will have a particularly negative effect on the residents in Hove Park Ward. None of the additional information allays any of my concerns from my previous letter of objection.

We have reluctantly accepted that this green field site will be built on, but we still believe this to be a gross over-development. The number of residential units is 20 percent above what was agreed in the City Plan and the density is far too high at 53dph. There is insufficient recreational green space on the site. The accommodation at the lower end of the site rising to 18.5 metres is too high.

Probably the most major concern is the vast amount of extra traffic that will be generated on a road with much reduced capacity. This very steep hill is already treacherous in icy weather and with the existing crawler lane removed it will become more dangerous.

The original traffic estimates were flawed. The independent stage 1 RSA report dated June 2020 raised 47 key road safety concerns. We are not convinced that these serious problems have been resolved. All three major junctions will be over capacity, two of them already are, even before the development goes ahead. The extra smaller entrances and exits that are proposed for the site will further add to the danger on King George V1 Avenue.

All the surrounding roads will see an increase in traffic and Goldstone Crescent and Woodland Drive will be particularly adversely affected. Goldstone Crescent is the expected to see a 32 percent increase in traffic and even without the development there are long queues to get out of the Goldstone Valley in the rush hours. There will be even longer tailbacks on Goldstone Crescent and Dyke Road Avenue and the smaller, narrow roads will be used as rat runs. Three sets of traffic lights in quick succession on King George V1 Ave will cause further queuing leading to grave pollution problems.

We do not believe that the extra traffic that will be generated by other large development sites in the area have been fully taken into consideration e.g., Sackville Trading Estate, the extensive plans for the Hove Station area, Peugeot Garage, Jaguar Garage etc. All the traffic to these sites will pass through Hove Park Ward.

The Goldstone Valley has a particularly poor bus service - 21 and there is no guarantee that this will

improve with the new development.

Another concern is the water aquifer situated at Toads Hole that provides drinking water for Hove

residents. We do not believe that adequate precautions have been taken to protect this vital water source from pollution.

We are also very worried about the fact that this development is to be carried out in phases. most probably by different contractors with no overall vision. Not even all the road works are to be done in one stage. This is likely to cause years of disruption and anxiety to my residents, who do not feel that their concerns have been addressed in these proposals.

I would like to speak at the relevant Council Meeting.

Yours sincerely

Vanessa Brown