By Bradbury Williams
A big turnout at two ‘consultation’ events run by local developer Fairfax to promote their Cuck-stye housing plan led to an emphatic verdict from the local community.
An exit poll revealed that a total of 174 people turned up and more than 96% confirmed they were firmly against the plan to merge Cuckfield and Ansty, in any form.
Meanwhile, Fairfax said they welcomed the chance to hear the views of the community who attended the small exhibition at Ansty Village Centre last month. “We will be using feedback gained from this to inform the progression of our plans,” said spokesperson Martin Wilkes.
Members of the Stop Cuck-stye Action Group, which has widespread community support say they won’t relax until the plan is dropped altogether. “The view is that this was just a Fairfax tick-box exercise, as required by the planning process. If they were to take on board the clear verdict of our exit poll they we would swiftly withdraw the plans,” said Simon Stokes, SCAG co-chair. “We can now prove the vast majority of our community are not in favour of these plans in any form. They seem to be intent on carrying on regardless even though Mid Sussex District Council assure us they do not need the development to meet housing targets,” he added.
Many visitors to the event were visibly angry at the plans for 1,450 houses and the proposed new 215-acre ‘Beechy Bottom Country Park’ alongside Deaks Lane, already a designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is criss-crossed by footpaths.
No event was held in Cuckfield which borders the site where the vast majority of affected residents live and general publicity to promote it was minimal. “It was interesting to see how Fairfax’s Cuck-stye plans have developed in the last several months. The answer was not much,” said Andy Burton, chair of Cuckfield Parish Council. “Reducing house numbers by a handful and putting in another roundabout on the A272 won’t make any difference to the catastrophic impact the development will have on the area.”
Michael Brown, of countryside charity the CPRE, said: “New housing needs must be driven by local plans not arbitrary property speculation. The council should facilitate organic growth of the larger towns and resist urbanising our countryside.”
Deputy Leader of MSDC and prospective Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Alison Bennett said: “The Lib Dems have consistently opposed plans for Cuck-stye from when it was first put forward by the Conservative administration in January last year. The new Lib Dem administration has no plan to add Cuck-stye to the district plan review. “Looking ahead, there will be another opportunity to give your views to the plan in January 2024, before the proposals are submitted to the Planning Inspectorate,” she added.
The newly elected Conservative District Councillor for Cuckfield & Ansty, Malcolm Avery, says he’s working closely on a cross party basis to ensure the Fairfax proposal does not make it into the District Plan which is now being finalised for sign-off by the government. “Our work on the impact on local roads makes it clear this development is unsuitable. We do need more houses generally, which is why there are currently 3,500 being built less than half a mile away at the Northern Arc development,” he said. “Promises made by Fairfax about a new school and doctors surgery are unlikely to materialise, with a similar surgery proposal at Kings Way yet to be implemented and new schools to be provided nearby as part of the Northern Arc,” he added. “The only certainty for our community is traffic chaos for a decade of building works, plus a legacy of gridlock and the permanent loss of beautiful countryside and iconic views of both Cuckfield and Ansty.”
Prospective Tory MP for the area, Kristy Adams, who met locals at both events, said: “Locals felt angry at the loss of open fields, habitats and views. It was a resounding ‘no’ to this development from everyone locally and I agreed with them.”
SCAG’s co-chair Simon Stokes says the next seven months before the Planning Examination due in May are critical. “They will have the best lawyers that money can buy so our community needs to be well equipped to oppose their desperate attempts to get their proposal back on track,” he said.