On Tuesday 30^th November the Planning application for the new Special Needs School on the Oakmeeds Campus was approved unanimously by West Sussex County Council’s Planning Committee. During the debate, councillors from all political party’s expressed their concerns over traffic and agreed to support my special request that the Chair of the Committee write to the Cabinet Member responsible for highways. The letter is to urge him to:

4   Find the resources to increase the areas of Grasscreate in the cul-de-sacs on the section of Chanctonbury Road which adjoins the Oakmeeds Campus, to improve parking for residents.

4   Implement the Traffic Regulation Order which will help improve the traffic flows in Chanctonbury Road. But will also through their design help minimise traffic speed.

4   Ensure the controlled crossing on London Road, which will help keep children safe when crossing this busy, fast road, is installed as soon as possible.

4   Support the introduction of a Walking Bus plan (supervised walk to school) as soon as possible to encourage parents to park in the Queens Crescent Car Park, and walk the remaining short distance to London Meeds School (parents who use the car park to take and collect their children at London Meed school are not charged to use the facility). 

Mid Sussex District Council came in for criticism from the committee on the following points:

8    MSDC have negotiated a fair price for relocation of the well used play equipment by London Meed School and are now refusing to commit to where it would be moved too locally.

8    The closure of half the Long Stay, Queens Crescent Car Park to cars. Rather than exploring the reasons it was almost empty, they chose to make worse the on-street parking in the Chanctonbury Road area.