FAQs

Community and Infrastructure FAQs

Thursday, 12 January 2023

Latest Questions

1. The increase in population will create an increase in demand on local public services such as education and health. How will the project tackle that?

Permission is sought for up to 19,620m2 of educational space which will include two primary schools with early years and special education needs and disabilities (SEND) provision and a secondary school campus also including SEND provision.

If the Horsham and Mid Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group do not require an on-site facility, a financial contribution towards off-site healthcare improvements in the locality will be provided.

2. Will local utilities be able to cope with over 3,000 new homes?

The existing 132kv primary electricity substation to the west of Jane Murray Way (A273) will be extended by up to 3,020m2 to provide additional electrical capacity to serve the development although it should be noted that this falls outside of the application site boundary. The existing 132kv overhead power lines to the north west of St Paul's Catholic College will be undergrounded.

In terms of water supply, Homes England is in ongoing discussion with South East Water to confirm proposed point of connections for the different parts of the site. The development will be served by a network of utilities infrastructure, including surface water attenuation and common service trenches for utility and broadband networks.

3. How can I comment on the planning application for the new bridge and link road?

The planning application can be accessed via Mid Sussex District Council's planning register by using reference number DM/19/3313. Comments can also be made by writing to Planning Department, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1SS

4. How will you encourage the use of public transport?

Public transport will be critical to embed sustainable travel habits from the outset of the development. The layout of the site has been designed to facilitate a main public transport corridor which will help to ensure that all parts of the site have access to bus based public transport. On Maple Drive for example, pedestrian and cycle improvements to enhance connections to Wivelsfield railway station will be provided. We are also proposing a new bus route that will pass through the Northern Arc on the spine road between Jane Murray Way in the west and Maple Drive in the east. This will be a high frequency route that will connect the Northern Arc to key destinations in Burgess Hill including the railway stations, the town centre and the main employment centres.

These improvements will support Mid Sussex District Council and West Sussex District Council's 'Place and Connectivity programme' which will deliver significant infrastructure improvements across Burgess Hill.

5. The new development at Freeks Farm will increase traffic on Maple Drive and the surrounding area, what will be done to address this?

The planning consent for Freeks Farm allows for 130 homes to be built and occupied and accessed from Maple Drive. Further development will only be possible once the highway and bridge connection to the A273 Isaacs Lane is complete. The planning application, approved in January 2020, can be accessed on Mid Sussex District Council's planning register – reference DM/19/3313.