LETTER: Public excluded and powerless

Well done to the councillor who had the guts and personal conviction in his beliefs to vote against it and not to sit on the fence by abstaining – unlike, regretfully, our own ward councillors.

Of course, HDC has always believed it knows what’s best.

That’s despite overwhelming local opposition, a parish council who, after extensive real consultation with those who actually live in the place, provided a logical and reasoned case, not against development, but against this size of development.

There was very, very minimal support for allowing it, generally from those with a vested interest.

Unfortunately they have ruled the day.

Our MPs issue platitudes about local involvement, in reality their focal length extends only as far as the next election.

Our local politicians seem either scared of the national ones and their rulings, or have elevated themselves to possess divine judgement on the only way forward.

This leaves the public effectively excluded and powerless.

Is it any wonder that with politicians like these they are, as a breed, held in low esteem and the turnout at elections is low?

It’s a sad day for democracy.

The only thing the residents in Billingshurst, and several other areas, can do is to have sufficient patience and mem-ory when the national and local elections come around.

Of course, by then, we’ll all be knee deep in tightly packed, inappropriate, developments like the new barracks at Broadbridge Heath.

Roger North

Freshlands, Billingshurst