Haywards Heath residents prepare to fight new home plans

Residents of a Haywards Heath cul-de-sac are preparing to fight a planning application, which they feel will increase traffic in their road.
Parking across curbs in St Edmund's Road, Haywards HeathParking across curbs in St Edmund's Road, Haywards Heath
Parking across curbs in St Edmund's Road, Haywards Heath

The proposal is for the current property in St Edmunds Road, called Mid Trees, to be demolished and replaced with three detached, two-bed homes.

A previous plan for the same site was for two pairs of two-bedroom, semi-detached properties. However this was refused by Mid Sussex District Council planners in December.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reasons given were that it would be overbearing and unneighbourly, over development, it would increase the amount of traffic in the road and cars manoeuvring within the site would result in disturbance to the neighbours. Residents believe these reasons still apply to the new plans.

One resident said: “It will be a nightmare if there are an extra six to eight cars coming down the road all the time.

“Cars park half on the road and half on the pavement at the moment anyway, which means pedestrians usually walk in the middle of the road as there is hardly any room on the pavement. It can be so dangerous.”

Cllr Sujan Wickremaratchi, Haywards Heath town councillor for Ashenground ward, said: “Haywards Heath Town Council objected on the grounds of over development and highway access. I fully support the residents of St Edmunds Road. In my view building three houses off this tiny road is madness and I hope common sense is used and the application to build is rejected by the planning authority.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Residents feel that the highways report does not reflect the true nature of the road.

A spokesman for the strategic planning division of West Sussex County Council said: “All our site assessments are thoroughly carried out in order to provide advice to the relevant district or borough councils as the planning authorities, and the final decision is for them to take.

“This site was looked at very carefully and it was felt that whilst there is on-street parking, it was not considered to be detrimental to highway safety.”

The plans go before North East Area Planning Committee at 7pm Thursday (March 14), in the council chamber in Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath. Ref number 13/00209/FUL