Sayers Common Housing Developments

The draft Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) District Plan for 2021 to 2039 contained the intention to permit some 4,000 new homes to be built in the immediate area. Residents will recall the first round of formal consultation in Nov/Dec 2022 and the second round of consultation in Jan/Feb 2024. At each stage the Parish Council submitted detailed comments that can be summarised as: objections to the number of new dwellings in such a small area; and the lack of any master-planning to ensure all the drainage, sewerage, f looding, transport, health, education and community services would be provided.

The final draft Plan was submitted by MSDC in the Summer of 2024, for approval by the Planning Inspector who is assigned by the Government to judge whether the Plan is sound. The Parish Council attended the stage one hearings in October 2024 with the Planning Inspector, to put our points forward. In April 2025, the Planning Inspector concluded that she found the Plan to have failed the “duty to cooperate” requirement with neighbouring councils. MSDC complained to the Secretary of State about the observations made by the Planning Inspector and said they found her comments on the draft plan flawed. This disagreement is not yet resolved and, although there may be more positive news in the new year, in the meantime the developers are proceeding with their plans for new homes and will doubtless get the planning permission they apply for. Two developers have already submitted their planning applications for approval, namely Antler Homes for the 27 dwellings at Chesapeke/Meadow View (Ref: DM/25/1434) and Welbeck Land for 210 dwellings on the Coombe Farm site (Ref: DM/25/2661). Soon to follow will be Reside for 80 dwellings on land west of Kings Business Centre and Wates for the 210 dwellings and new special school at the LVS site. Berkeley/Latimer are not expected to apply for around 2,000 dwellings on land West of Reeds Lane for a few years yet. The Parish Council continues to object to the large number of homes planned, but having recognised the building is probably inevitable, is also pressing for joined-up master-planning for all the development sites in Sayers Common to ensure existing, and new, residents benefit from a well thought out expansion of the village. All developers will contribute funding towards improved infrastructure and local amenities.

To read the full newsletter, please pick up your copy of December’s Hurst Life or click the images to enlarge them.

The Parish Council owns and manages several of the local recreation grounds in Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common, including Reeds Lane Recreation Ground, which has a history of flooding and damp ground conditions. A project is therefore underway to install an underground drainage solution that will improve these issues. This drainage work is currently out to tender. Consequently, no date has been finalised for the works yet, but it is hoped they will happen this Summer or Autumn. Once the ground has settled, the Parish Council will move forward with completing the second phase, installing new play equipment to make the site even more of a destination for fun activities. New bike racks are also being installed outside the Village Shop which recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary. It is a really valued community asset so please support it and, if you haven’t been, do visit.

Hurstpierpoint Village Centre

Next to the Library on Trinity Road is the Village Centre with its large main hall with a newly sparkling wooden f loor. There are so many activities open to the public here from ballroom dancing to gymnastics, martial arts to knitting and Pilates to yoga. If you are keen to join in with a new social activity, have a look at our website to see what is on. The Club Lounge, home of the Hurstpierpoint Pre-School, is very well used but there is availability for the Conference Room which is just £28 to hire during the day for a five-hour session, which falls to £21 if ten sessions are booked in a row. It has state of the art audio visual equipment to hold Teams and Zoom meetings as well. Here is the Friday morning art class…

To read the full newsletter click the images to enlarge them or grab your copy of June’s Hurst Life.