Has the Haywards Heath Town Council thought about the real impact of this scheme on the Princess Royal Hospital? They have unanimously agreed to support the Social Club’s application, with a few caveats at their meeting. And only four days after the application was published. No consultation had taken place with residents.
Current users of the sports pitch and swimming pool are supposed to access via the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) – either from the PRH entrance or by turning left at the mini roundabout at Southdowns Parks when coming in via Colwell Road. This is not what happens in practice as things stand, as residents will tell you.
The St Francis Social & Sports Club and Haywards Heath Town Council believe that some ‘strongly-worded signage’ will ensure that this is the case in future.
They have both agreed that all the works traffic for building the new hall will be required to come in and out via the hospital as well. The private road is far too narrow and the bends too tight on the west side for such traffic. And it is a private road intended only to service residential car parking. Public rights of access to the sports facilities are granted through the hospital.
But we have to ask: Is it really desirable or feasible for a major increase in traffic through this busy hospital? From early mornings through till midnight? Meeting the demands for large-scale events for up to 250 people? And in the shorter term, all the building construction works traffic.
The hospital has a busy A&E department. It is often extremely busy at evenings and weekends. Patients are coming and going for hospital appointments and day surgery all the time. Anyone living here who walks up to the hospital will tell you that there are people wandering around, crossing the roads – often lost, looking for directions to various hospital buildings on site. There are only pavements and footpaths for pedestrians on some parts of the road. It is hardly a safe environment at present. Any further increase in traffic on these roads is a real worry.
Do you use the hospital? What do you think?
