Congestion top of concerns over Horsted Keynes development

Developer Rydon Homes wants to build on land to the south of St Stephen’s Church in Hamsland.

Its planning application follows the inclusion of the site in Mid Sussex District Council’s draft site allocations development plan document.

If approved, in total there would be six one-bed apartments, nine two-bed houses, 12 three-bed houses and three four-bedroom houses.

Of the 30 dwellings, nine would be affordable, equating to 30 per cent of the development.

The planning application has already attracted plenty of objections.

One resident described how Hamsland could ‘not take any more vehicles’ as it was ‘by far the most congested part of the village’ with parking reducing its usable width.

An objector said: “For anyone who lives in the vicinity of Hamsland, the traffic / parking situation is already at breaking point and the road is now effectively a single track.”

Another added: “The fact of the matter is that the village was not built to take account of the current load of vehicles in the area, let alone an increase.”

Others raised the impact developing the field would have on the character of the village.

One objector wrote: “The field is a wildflower meadow with, to my knowledge, grass snakes, slow worms, crested newts, and dormice to name but a few. It is a food resource for several owls as well as other birds. It would be sacrilegious to destroy this lovely field and developing it would cause untold difficulties to the residents of this already crowded area of the village.”

Another said: “To Horsted Keynes, this is a sizeable development, proposed in what is already its most densely populated area, and will, in my opinion, detract hugely from this picturesque village.”

To comment visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/planning using code DM/20/4692.