Mayfield Market Town proposal
Thursday, 06 June 2013 11:31
This developer proposal would involve the building of up to 10,000 new houses in the countryside between Henfield and Sayers Common in Sussex. CPRE Sussex would like to make clear its forceful opposition to this opportunistic proposal: it proposes a new town almost the size of East Grinstead of up to 25,000 people dumped in the middle of our open countryside: not a market town, but a commuter town, with few on the spot jobs available. This scheme meets no need for housing identified in the strategic plans that have been developed by Mid Sussex and Horsham District Councils. It would violate those Plans' proposed countryside protection policies, divert infrastructure and other investment from existing nearby communities, and clog up the local roads. It is also strongly objectionable on a variety of other environmental and non-sustainability grounds.
The scheme appears to be a relaunch of a proposal rejected as unsustainable in the 2010 Horsham District Council, Mid Sussex District Council & Crawley Borough Council New Market Town Study Final Report commissioned by the Councils from consultants G.L. Hearn. That report concluded that “Drawing on the lessons from earlier development of new towns, it is clear that a development of 10,000 homes will not create a self-sufficient community.”
Edit: See also Public Meeting: Do you want Mayfield Market Town here?
CPRE Sussex will be campaigning vigorously against this proposal. We call on all our members to support our campaign. To offer your help, or for further information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
