Growing concern over path

Safety concerns have prompted a new demand for action over a public footpath in Southwater.

Residents fear ‘an accident waiting to happen’ because pedestrians have to walk along a dangerous road with no pavement - after the footpath was fenced off in October.

Now Southwater councillors Billy Greening and Claire Vickers have written to both Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council demanding action.

”It’s time to get tough. No more excuses. It’s time to get something done,” said Billy.

The footpath - between Oakhurst Business Park and Martindales - was first fenced off in preparation for nearby development work, but little work has since taken place.

Residents say they are having to walk along a dangerous stretch of Blakes Farm Road, with no pavement, and heavy traffic and that it is not a question of ‘if’ an accident happens, but ‘when.’

Billy said talks about the footpath had been going on for the past six years after developers earmarked money for the path’s development. But, he said, nothing had happened because of ‘a broken system’ between Horsham council and the county council. “The two councils are not talking to each other,” he said.

“It’s no-one’s fault individually, it’s a failure of the system.

“But now I just want this problem sorted. Both Claire and I have written to the chief executive of Horsham District Council and the leader of West Sussex County Council.”