With reference to Southern Water's proposed sewage plant at Peacehaven, nothing will convince me this is the best site.

As a resident of Peacehaven for more than 40 years, I have watched hundreds of houses being built annually.

In that time, nothing has been done about improving the main access road to Peacehaven - the A259, which has only a single lane each way.

There is no way this road can be made wider and nothing can be done about the congestion at the east end at Newhaven plus the added problem of the bridge hold-ups.

Going west, there is the same problem at Rottingdean. The road structure in this part of Sussex is so poor that if the A27 is closed, the A259 is the only route traffic can use along the coast. It's then one big jam.

This also works the other way. If the A259 is blocked, the A27 and A36 cannot cope.

The roads in Peacehaven are already in a poor state and were never built for such heavy traffic.

I understand the current waste flow is east from Brighton and west from Peacehaven and Telscombe into Portobello.

Could a tunnel not be built under the A259, going north, from the Portobello site under the Tye to come out on to land to the rear and west of Telscombe Village? Very few people, if any, would be seriously affected as the population is small.

The tunnel could be large enough to take one or two lanes of traffic from the site and also the waste water - the water going north to be treated and then back south to the outfall. Access for site traffic could be made on to the A259 from the existing Portobello site and the existing outfall could be used and extended if necessary.

It would certainly cause far less disruption while being built and also when completed.

I am also aware of all the objections to the original plans at Portobello. My proposal would need far less additional work at this site.

Yes, a part of the farm land would be required as at Peacehaven. There is also the possibility of an access road to the rear of the site on to the Southease Rodmell road.

The cost savings and less scope for disruption would surely make it more acceptable.

Derek E Mead

-Horsham Avenue, Peacehaven