Daf'sDiary: Back in the Saddle on my high horse

Below is the email I have written today in response to a large glossy four page campaign leaflet from Gary Markwell who is the conservative candidate for Arundel and Courtwick, standing in the West Sussex County Council Elections on May 4th

Good day to you Mr. Markwell,

On the glossy leaflet that came through our door, I found this email address, under the heading 'If you would like to raise an issue of concern…..'

My husband and I have three issues of concern.

I would like to know what if anything, is going to be done about the absolute chaos at the tip in Mill Lane, just around the corner from our home in Toddington Lane, Littlehampton.

We are both outraged at the new opening hours.

The tip should be open from 8am at the latest when it is now not open until 10am.

Two days of closure have been introduced.

These are Tuesday and Wednesday.

This represents an appalling reduction in the service and is that main contributing factor in the massive increase in fly tipping in the area.

This difficulty in getting to the tip is making filthy unhealthy piles of household mess all over our wonderful countryside hereabouts.

The queues to get into the tip are now horrendous and if you do not know about this yourself, I suggest you make an unannounced visit to see with you own eyes the disruption that is caused.

Yesterday morning by 9.45am, there was already a queue reaching back to the main road and in the other direction cars were also parked waiting for the opening all the way back to the building sites.

At that time, I returned home with my three bags of green garden cuttings.

I returned at 1pm when it was not quite so bad but the trip, that used to take me 12-15 minutes for the return drive took me nearly an hour.

The mass of building work going on in Toddington Lane/Mill Lane, north of the rail line which is also close to our home.

The road should have been constructed first, before the whole 'New Town' that is being thrown up at a scary rate of knots, was allowed to continue.

The mess that is left on the narrow road has during the wet weather in the winter been a quagmire and is a dust bowl on dry days.

There are now cars parked everywhere and passing what is now a serious bottleneck is already difficult before hundreds of new families move in.

I do not like to complain about Littlehampton because I have lived in the area for fifty six of seven years and have been happy here.

When we moved into Toddington Lane about twenty five years ago it was a quiet country lane. now it is a mess.

My husband and myself are triathletes, but now I do not like to ride on the main roads any more because of the dreadful traffic situation.

Riding our bikes from our home up toward Arundel is far too dangerous now, almost out of the question.

My husband has a business concern on the A 27 at Poling on The Vinery Estate and some evenings it has been taking him 30-50 minutes to get home on what was a ten minute trip.

The heavy hold up at Cross Bush/McDonalds area traffic lights is a nightmare due to the A27 Arundel bypass hold, on construction which is an affront to local people.

Yours in sport and hope

Daphne Belt

Littlehampton Sports Forum

Sports Person of the Year 2016 & 2014