Open fields at the edge of Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow were being considered for potential housing under Mid Sussex District Council's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

Campaigners are celebrating the news that the council has now said the land is part of the nature reserve and is 'unsuitable for housing development'.

Surveys show the land, which was incorporated into the Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow Nature Reserve in 2003, is abundant in wildlife and is a popular spot with dog walkers and children.

The news comes as a great relief to the Friends of Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow who have worked tirelessly to maintain and protect the land, which forms the bulk of the strategic gap between Cuckfield and Haywards Heath.

Terry Gillard, chairman of the Friends of Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow, said: "We are extremely pleased with the result and glad the council has seen commonsense.

"The public were up in arms when they heard about the threat and we distributed leaflets and spoke to dog walkers which resulted in many people writing to the council with their concerns.

"What we would really like to do now is to make sure all council owned nature reserves are not considered for housing in the future."

A spokesperson for the council said: "As this site is located within the Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow Local Nature Reserve, it is not considered suitable for development."

Read the full story in the Mid Sussex Times

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