Identity of Hassocks '˜put at risk' by 500 homes plan

A plan for 500 homes to be built north of Hassocks was scrutinised by a planning inspector on Monday.
Hundreds of residents attended the hearing in public on Monday (January 5)Hundreds of residents attended the hearing in public on Monday (January 5)
Hundreds of residents attended the hearing in public on Monday (January 5)

Inspector Jonathan Bore called the hearing in public to examine the proposal for a site north of Clayton Mills, which would form part of the Mid Sussex District Plan.

It was called after more than 1,000 residents registered their opposition to the homes.

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Hundreds attended the meeting at Clair Hall, where a panel including the parish, district, and county councils and MP Nick Herbert discussed the scale of the development, effect of the plan on education, health services, infrastructure and the impact on countryside.

Panel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearingPanel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearing
Panel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearing

Inspector Jonathan Bore will now consider the soundness of the plan – which the district council will have to accept.

Dale Mayhew, of Dowsett Mayhew Planning Partnership, representing Hassocks Parish Council, told Mr Bore the plan would ‘take it far beyond’ the village’s Neighbourhood Plan.

“With other developments coming forward this takes it to more than 1,000 homes – a 30 percent increase,” he said.

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“We have substantial concerns about having 500 homes on one single site, which is constrained.”

From left: Roger Cartwright, chairman of Mid Sussex Liberal Democrats, county councillor  Kirsty Lord,  Benedict Dempsey and Colin Wilsdon, chairman of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Lib DemsFrom left: Roger Cartwright, chairman of Mid Sussex Liberal Democrats, county councillor  Kirsty Lord,  Benedict Dempsey and Colin Wilsdon, chairman of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Lib Dems
From left: Roger Cartwright, chairman of Mid Sussex Liberal Democrats, county councillor Kirsty Lord, Benedict Dempsey and Colin Wilsdon, chairman of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Lib Dems

County councillor Kirsty Lord reiterated the 30 percent increase and said it would ‘change the village to a town’.

People are reluctant to see this and they have big concerns about this,” she told Mr Bore.

MP Nick Herbert said the plan ‘exacerbates the lack of control that the village has’.

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He told Mr Bore: “If local people felt like they had more control then they would be a great deal happier.”

John Kelly of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Labour Party who spoke at the hearingJohn Kelly of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Labour Party who spoke at the hearing
John Kelly of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Labour Party who spoke at the hearing

Benedict Dempsey, representing Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Liberal Democrats, blamed the ‘pressure’ for the district council to deliver a five-year housing supply.

“The issue is about the speed this proposal has come through because they are under pressure,” he told Mr Bore.

“There is no need to take a site of this size in order to meet the five-year supply. The five-year supply can be met in other ways.

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“We argue that this site should be removed from the District Plan and then the site can be considered in a sensible and appropriate way.”

Residents campaigning against the plan. Picture: Derek MartinResidents campaigning against the plan. Picture: Derek Martin
Residents campaigning against the plan. Picture: Derek Martin

David Withycombe, representing the parish council, said the development would destroy access to the countryside.

“The countryside is why people live here,” he added.

It was confirmed in the hearing that the first completion of homes were anticipated to be built by 2020 – with 73 market annual completions a year, including affordable homes.

Building a new two-form entry primary school to accommodate the new homes was debated by the panel.

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Mr Mayhew, of Dowsett Mayhew Planning Partnership, representing the parish council, told Mr Bore the village’s Neighbourhood Plan makes ‘clear provision’ for the school and that the Hassocks Golf Club site had been identified for this.

“This is close to the parish council’s heart,” he added.

Panel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearingPanel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearing
Panel members and Inspector Jonathan Bore at the hearing

County councillor Ms Lord told Mr Bore the likelihood for a new school was ‘limited’.

“New schools nowadays are academies and free schools, they are not built by the local authority anymore,” she said.

“You would need around 2,000 homes for a two-form entry school too – we are a long way off this.”

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Mr Dempsey, representing Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Liberal Democrats, raised the need for a new GP surgery, if the development went ahead.

He said: “It is potentially going to lead to 1,500 additional patients needing a GP in the village.

“This suggests the need for an additional surgery to accommodate the village and this further shows the need for more time to assess this site.”

Michael Nailard, of Greenfield Guardians, reiterated Mr Dempsey and said people in the village currently have to wait up to three weeks to get an appointment.

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“This development for 500 homes will make it impossible,” he added.

Mr Nailard also told Mr Bore the development would have an ‘inconsiderable impact’ to the infrastructure.

“This development would make a large increase in traffic and almost all residents are travelling out of the village for employment and to other schools because we are limited here.

“This development will have a major detrimental effect – not to mention the issue of air quality.”

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The district council responded to the traffic concerns but said they had looked at transport and ‘did not find it severe’.

After the hearing county councillor Ms Lord said the development ‘put the village’s identity at risk’, by reducing the gap between Hassocks and Burgess Hill.

“It is testament to the strength of community opposition to these proposals that the planning inspector felt compelled to call this hearing,” she added.

Dr Colin Wilsdon, chairman of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Liberal Democrats, said the hearing was a ‘result of the council doing a rushed job’.

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John Kelly, of Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint Labour Party, spoke about the adverse environmental effect, if the development went ahead.

He said: “The large number of additional car journeys every weekday would contribute to the likely development of another ‘Stonepound crossroads’ at the junction of Keymer Road and Ockley Lane.”

After the hearing member of the party Rosalind Clarke said it was important that the opposition parties’ spoke up on behalf of the of the hundreds of people who were present at the meeting but were not permitted to speak’.

“Hassocks Labour are determined to represent the concerns of the 1,000 plus residents who objected to the proposal,” she said.

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“It was clear that the inspector listened carefully to the many issues that were raised.”

David Andrews, 69, of Church Mead, Keymer, Hassocks, who has lived in the district for almost 68 years, told the Middy after the hearing that a ‘more detailed study’ of the potential impact on transport needed to be carried out.

“It was clear to me that none of the developers or their representatives have done their homework,” he said.

“They suggested from their surveys and models that the impact would be minimal.

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“My suggestion is that 500 new houses could easily generate at least 1,000 or more extra vehicle movements through Ockley Lane each day.

“My wife and I use it every day, often several times, for journeys both southwards through Lodge Lane or northwards towards Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.

“It is particularly busy during the morning and evening rush hours, used mainly by workers from Brighton and its neighbours, who are travelling to both of these towns and wish to avoid both Stonepound Crossroads and the ever present congestion in Ditchling.

“I was also amazed that Southern Water, and presumably South East Water, had no concerns about either sewerage or water supplies. These are major issues which cannot be swept under the carpet.”

Mr Bore said in the hearing that he would look at the site ‘from a number of different vantage points’.

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