Petition to save parking bays at popular shop in Burgess Hill after proposals to widen pavement

Mid Sussex District Councillor Mustak Miah (Burgess Hill Dunstall ward, Conservative) started the campaign at www.midsussexconservatives.org.uk to keep the short-stay spaces outside Londis on London Road.

Councillor Miah said Homes England is proposing changes as part of the Brookleigh Mobility Corridor project, which would widen the pavement on the western side of London Road. According to the petition page, the changes could include removing the bays, banning parking outside 89-91 London Road, and relocating the northbound bus stop from the London/Fairfield Road junction to outside 89-93 London Road.

He met with store owner Kazem Hossini and his son Ali on Sunday, March 16.

Councillor Miah said: “Londis is a vital part of the community. These changes will not only affect Kazem’s business but also create challenges for residents and public transport users. The council must find a solution that supports local businesses and protects community access.”

He said the changes would have ‘a devastating impact’ on the shop, which also operates as a post office and employs 12 staff. Councillor Miah said: “Losing these parking spaces will reduce customer footfall, disrupt deliveries, and make it difficult for suppliers to access the premises.”

Kazem said: “Londis is more than just a shop. It’s a lifeline for many local residents, especially the elderly and vulnerable. Removing these parking spaces will make it harder for customers to access our services, reduce deliveries, and could force us to close.”

The petition is calling on West Sussex County Council to reconsider these proposals. It also urges the county council to work towards a solution that: supports pedestrians and cyclists without removing essential parking, protects local businesses reliant on customer access, maintains public transport accessibility for all, and ensures full community consultation before any final decisions are made.

Mid Sussex District Councillor Simon Hicks (Burgess Hill Leylands ward, Lib Dem) also criticised the proposals.

“The shop is well used by local people and passing motorists,” said Councillor Hicks, adding that the relevant parking spaces are already often full. He said this means some motorists end up parking on the zigzag lines that protect the current controlled crossing. He said: “The proposal would make this worse, leaving no parking spaces at this section of London Road when these are already extremely limited in surrounding roads.”

But Councillor Hicks welcomed the plans for ‘mobility corridors’ from the Brookleigh development to the town centre in principle, saying they would improve connections for pedestrians and cyclists. He said: “The pavement further down the hill on London Road would benefit from widening. I would also highlight there are other known pinch points, which could be addressed to help pedestrians walking to town, such as the corner of London Road and Leylands Road where the pavement is very narrow.”

He added: “While I support improved routes for cyclists and pedestrians, this plan does not make sense given the extremely limited local parking and would urge people to respond directly to the pre-application consultation to [email protected].”

He has asked for the issue to be on the agenda at the next meeting of the Town Council Planning Committee so the council can give a formal response.

A Homes England Spokesperson said: “Improving connections for pedestrians and cyclists is a key part of reducing transport emissions, improving air quality and improving health and wellbeing, ensuring that people have the opportunity to travel by active, safe and sustainable modes. It is also particularly important for new residential developments that high quality connections are available before travel habits become established.

“We have contacted local residents explaining the proposals and have requested feedback by 26th March 2025 by emailing [email protected]. This is an informal consultation and is open for three weeks to allow sufficient time for responses to be received and considered. The Mobility Corridor scheme will be reviewed following this informal consultation and we will issue further communications after that.”

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “The proposed changes to parking outside Londis in Burgess Hill are part of a Homes England-led initiative, designed to improve sustainable transport connections as part of the Brookleigh development.

“The recent letter drop was an informal engagement activity carried out by Homes England to inform stakeholders and residents of their plans. However, any proposed changes to parking restrictions will need to follow the standard Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation process and require approval from WSCC as the Highways Authority.

“It’s important to note that Pedestrian and Cycling improvements to the London Road corridor are included in the planning application which had approval granted by Mid Sussex District Council in 2019. While West Sussex County Council supports measures to enhance local infrastructure, we are not responsible for delivering this project.”