Fresh calls for safe village footpath between homes and business park
Fresh calls for a safe footpath between Southwater homes and a business park have been made by ‘fed up’ residents.
Currently pedestrians have to walk on the grass verge or in the road along Blakes Farm Road between the Hangmans Hill roundabout at the northern end of the village and the RSPCA roundabout.
Residents of Martindales have raised serious safety concerns especially as it is the route for large vehicles travelling to and from the Oakhurst Business Park.
They are calling for a safe footpath to be built along this length of Blakes Farm Road.
Billy Greening, district councillor for Southwater North, has started a petition signed by 330 people already.
The safety problems have been exacerbated by the fact that two new industrial units are being built to the east and south of Martindales.
This is because construction has seen the temporary closure of a section of footpath 1669, which gives pedestrians a direct route to Worthing Road. Not only has it led to more people walking along the road, some have been cutting through Martindales, which is a private road.
This footpath was also closed during land clearance.
One resident described how their husband had fallen from the verge into the road when walking their two dogs, injuring his back. She added: “Everybody is just fed up.”
A West Sussex County Council spokesman explained how the footpath had been temporarily closed for public safety reasons during construction.
There were alternative roads with pavements people can use and although these mean a longer journey than using Blakes Farm Road, WSCC ‘would always urge people to use the safest available route’.
A spokesman for Horsham District Council confirmed that £79,000 of developer contributions are still available to be spent on any local transport projects.
This money was secured when the homes at Martindales were built, but would not be enough to pay for a footpath along Blakes Farm Road, and WSCC is reviewing how this contribution can be best spent.
Footpath 1699 is scheduled to reopen by September and HDC said ‘there are alternative safe walking routes to access local facilities using public footpaths’.
Southwater Parish Council confirmed the issue of a new footpath had been discussed at meetings last year and it had also had raised it with county councillor Nigel Jupp.
A statement from SPC added: “If there is significant support from the residents of Southwater then this will assist in the consideration process of such a project for both WSCC and HDC.”