By Bradbury Williams

Plans to build 1,600 homes merging Cuckfield and Ansty into a giant new development – a so-called ‘Cuckstye’ - have met with widespread resistance from local residents. Within days of releasing the draft district plan which Mid Sussex District Council claimed would protect the villages from unmanaged development in the future, district councillors had a re-think and put the plan on ‘pause’.

This is viewed by many in the community as being a delaying tactic as there are local district council elections due in May 2023, when the issue of widespread developments and the requirement to take on the ‘un-met’ housing needs of Crawley and Brighton will undoubtedly be a hot topic. Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, said: “It is now sensible to hit the pause button, given the significant issues which impact on the council’s plans. I am writing to the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, calling for our housing targets to be set to a level more consistent with our environmental and infrastructure constraints and liaising with our local MP to make our case in Westminster,” he added. “The Levelling Up White Paper will be published shortly and I hope the government will use this as an opportunity to review the housing numbers currently set for parts of the south east like ours,” he said.

But Ansty and Staplefield Parish Councillor and longtime resident Jon Gilley, says there is still every chance that the ‘Cuck-Stye’ plans will still go ahead. “We are totally opposed to the draft district plan and the proposal to build 1,600 houses merging Ansty and Cuckfield. Our parish has already agreed to 3,500 new homes in the Northern Arc development just a mile down the road. “It seems that district councillors are happy to put their heads in the sand and accept arbitrary housing numbers based on a central government algorithm. In the process they are totally ignoring the views of the vast majority of local residents who will not accept this developer led ‘Cuck-stye’ proposal. It’s likely this ‘pause’ is simply a delaying tactic until after the next local elections in Mid Sussex,” he said.

Cuckfield District Councillor Peter Bradbury has stated he is firmly against the proposal, which is unacceptable for both villages, “I have always opposed building on the Cuckfield Bypass and will continue to do so,” he said. For Andy Burton, chair of Cuckfield Parish Council, the move will have a radical impact on a historic village and the environment. “Mid Sussex’s proposal to double the size of Cuckfield will completely change the face of the 900-year-old settlement in a few short years and have a massive impact on the communities and the environment around it,” he said. “Our District Plan and Neighbourhood Plans have been trampled underfoot by the government’s new algorithm, which dictates a hugely increased minimum housing allocation that MSDC must now meet.
”This is not only completely unsustainable but extremely unfair on local people, who will have to put up with ever diminishing environment and services, significant traffic increases and years of construction disruption. Don’t be fooled by the Council’s ‘pause’ – the developer juggernaut will continue and try to build momentum,” he added.

Local developer Fairfax and Savills have put forward a detailed plan for a strategic development on the site. In its introduction the vision plan states: “We are committed to a high quality development, which serves the local community and fits in with the county’s distinctive character.” Also proposed is Cuckfield Country Park, which it says, will offer a range of amenities for existing and new residents with a route through parkland. “The strategy is to enhance the landscape. Diversify the vegetation, add new waterbodies and significantly improve the biodiversity,” says the report.

Minutes after hearing about the proposal Ansty resident George Morley, 40, who has spent most of his life in the village, started an online petition which rapidly gained hundreds of signatures. “As soon as I heard about it I knew it had the potential to destroy the character of both Ansty and Cuckfield, merging the two villages and turning them into a town which nobody wants,’ said George.

“The reaction so far, getting over 730 signatures within a couple of weeks, shows that people will not stand for this and there will be a big campaign across the area to make sure it doesn’t get the go-ahead,’ added George.

For Keira Harkin, 35, whose family have lived in Mackeralls Farm – which dates back to the 16th century – for more than three generations, the plans are a devastating blow. “When I saw the plans, it was just a feeling of disbelief and shock. People do need housing but this site is not sustainable and attention should be turned to brownfield site regeneration, first and foremost,” she said. “The proposal has been made to look environmentally friendly to soften the concept, but having worked alongside commercial ecologists, I can see the terminology in the vision plan is there to soften the blow and tick boxes, to allow the developers free reign across the landscape,” she added.

For Jon Gilley, the country park plan, which stretches almost two miles, is a mystery. “We already have a beautiful area of countryside alongside Deaks Lane, with various footpaths in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so for me the country park idea makes no sense at all.”

Having appeared on an ITV News report, Jon is aware that the fundamental injustice of these plans will continue to attract widespread attention and galvanise the community. “We have had lots of offers of help and are planning for a long-term campaign, driven by a clear strategy, that in the end lays to rest any ambition for ‘Cuck-stye’ new town,” said Jon.