Coronavirus: Public meeting to discuss plans for homes on Haywards Heath Golf Course cancelled

The meeting, set to take place at Clair Hall in Haywards Heath on Monday (March 30), had been organised by Lindfield Rural Parish Council and Lindfield Parish Council, in conjunction with Haywards Heath Town Council and Ardingly Parish Council.

The main aim of the meeting was to give developer Fairfax an opportunity to present its proposals and collect the views of residents to inform the respective councils when making their responses to the district council.

The councils had also intended on inviting representatives of the planning authority, landowners, the golf club, elected councillors for parish, town, district and county, as well as Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies.

Trevor Webster, chairman of Lindfield Rural Parish Council, said on behalf of all the councils: “We are very disappointed that we have had to cancel the meeting, but public safety is paramount and the virus risk cannot be ignored.

“Our response, recognising that the development of the golf club is a highly controversial issue, will be to ask MSDC to suspend the planning application process until such time as this important public meeting can be held.

“Without the meeting, it places the community at a disadvantage in not being able to have their voices fully heard.

“I would, therefore, urge MSDC to abandon the April 10, closing date for comments on the application until very much later in the year.”

The four councils said they will continue to seek the views of residents via Survey Monkey, Facebook and email.

They also advised residents to continue to submit their views to the planning portal.