A Planning Inspector has now been appointed by Government to examine Mid Sussex District Council’s draft District Plan.  You will recall this is the Plan that proposes some 4,000 new homes in the local area between now and 2039.  The Parish Council and many other local organisations and residents have been objecting to the contents of the draft Plan during two rounds of consultation over the last few years.  The Inspector is currently listening to people’s objections/support on “Strategic Issues” (specific sites will come later). 

The Parish Council has been working on behalf of residents to argue against a number of the proposals in the Plan such as lack of transport planning, little regard for flooding avoidance measures and the wrong sort of housing mix provision.  The over-riding issue of course, remains that the quantity of housing proposed on two greenfield sites in Albourne/Sayers Common and in Goddards Green/north of Hurstpierpoint, does not meet the key principles of the District Council’s Plan for “Growth at existing settlements where it continues to be sustainable to do so”.   The Parish Council believes that not enough of the housing numbers are being shared out amongst the three main towns in the Mid Sussex District (e.g. East Grinstead, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath) and a smaller number in every village where appropriate.  The statement submitted by the Parish Council to the Inspector is available below.

The hearings are also live streamed and stored on the District Council’s YouTube Channel.  Please use this link to view the hearings.

When the Inspector’s report is published, the Parish Council will announce her findings.