First phase of Northern Arc Burgess Hill development for 249 homes approved

The application, which included access and landscaping, was given the nod during a meeting of the planning committee on Thursday (May 19).

Members were told this was the first reserved matters application to be submitted for the Northern Arc development, which received outline planning permission for more than 3,000 homes in 2019.

Gary Marsh (Con, Ardingly & Balcombe) congratulated the teams involved with bringing the plans forward, saying the joint application from Bellway Homes and Homes England had been ‘a long time coming’ and had ‘all been very well worked out’.

The development will be made up of 222 homes on land to the east of Isaacs Lane and another 27 – including the conversion of Lowlands Barn – to the east of the ongoing development at Freeks Farm.

The eastern bridge and link road, which is under construction, will run through the larger site, which will also include a new road connecting it to Isaacs Lane.

The smaller site will include an access road to and from the Freeks Farm development.

The masterplan indicates that the secondary school will be located to the north of this parcel, and housing, the eastern neighbourhood centre and open spaces (the eastern neighbourhood park and the river corridor) will be located to the south.

Some 30 per cent of the new homes will be classed as affordable.

As well as the new homes, the development will include an extension to the Bedelands Nature Reserve.

To view the application, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk and search for DM/21/3870.